did in
regard to you in the case of the dipper."

The children were silent; but they all perceived the justice of what
Rollo's father had said.

"And the society have a claim upon you, Rollo, for compensation for the
disappointment and trouble you have caused them by taking away the
cabinet."

Rollo looked rather serious.

"O, we don't care about it," said Lucy.

"Well," said his father, "if the society release their claim upon you,
as you did yours upon Henry, very well. I hope, at all events, you will
all go on pleasantly after this."

The children then went out, and Rollo, followed by the other boys, went
to find Jonas, to tell him he might be cabinet keeper. They tried to
tell Jonas the whole story, and about Rollo's giving the fish to Henry,
and its being a bailment. But they could not make Jonas understand it
very well. He said he did not know any thing about bailment, except
bailing out boats--he had never heard of bailing fishes.

THE CURIOSITIES.

Jonas accepted the office of cabinet keeper. He inquired particularly of
the children about the meeting of the society, and, as they stated to
him the facts, he perceived that Rollo had been a good deal disappointed
at not having been chosen to any office. Jonas was sorry himself that
Rollo could not have had some special charge, as it was his plan at the
beginning, and the others had only joined it at his invitation. When he
observed, also, how good-naturedly Rollo acquiesced,--for he did at last
acquiesce very good-naturedly indeed,--he was the more sorry; and so he
proposed to Rollo that he should be _assistant_ cabinet keeper.

"I shall want an assistant," said Jonas, "for I have not time to attend
to the business much; I can give you directions, and then you can
arrange the curiosities accordingly; and you can help me when I am at
work there."

Rollo liked this plan very much; and so Jonas said that he might act as
assistant cabinet keeper until the next meeting of the society, and then
he would propose to them to choose him regularly. He told Mary of this
plan, and she liked it very much indeed.

The children had various plans for collecting curiosities. They had
meetings of the society once a week, when they all came into the play
room, bringing in with them the articles which they had found or
prepared. These articles were there exhibited and admired by all the
members, and then were put upon the great work-bench, under the care of
the