girl! I never been one and I
ain't ever goin' to be one!" he insisted.

"Now looka here, Cathead--" Gizzard began pleadingly.

"I won't look there! And I won't be a girl! I'll be a drunken father,
but I'll never be a girl!"

"But somebody's _got_ to be a girl!" Sube urged desperately. "Now who's
it goin' to be?"

He looked from Cottontop to Stucky and then back to Cottontop again, but
there were no volunteers.

"I couldn't be it if I wanted to," Cottontop explained. "I'm too big to
be a girl, and besides, there'd be nobody to take my part."

Then Stucky felt that he must have himself excused. "My voice is
changin'," he said, purposely causing his voice to crack and waver.
"Hear how it acks! I couldn't be a girl with a voice like that.
Everybody'd be onto me in a second."

It seemed to be up to Cathead, but without waiting to be so informed
Cathead began to bawl excitedly: "I won't be a girl! I won't be a girl!
And if you don't shut up I won't be in your ol' show at all!"

It was at this point that Biscuit Westfall appeared in the doorway,
where he paused, a little uncertain as to his welcome; for the attitude
of the other boys towards him was subject to change without notice.
Sometimes he was tolerated; often he was told to go home; and more often
he was tormented until he was glad to retire. Biscuit's life was too
sheltered, his character too beautiful to make good company of him. Had
he butted into the theater on the day previous he would have been
unceremoniously kicked out; but to-day he was hailed with delight.

"We was jus' talkin' about you, Biscuit," Sube began cautiously. "We was
wonderin' if you could take a part in our show."

Biscuit was overjoyed. His confidence was restored, and he entered
without misgivings as he cried:

"_Can_ I? CAN I? Say! Watch me! _Watch_ me!"

Sube scratched his ear dubiously. "You've said a mouthful, Biscuit:
_can_ you! It's a pretty hard part. Cathead, there, has been teasin' us
to let him take it, but we don't think he can do it."

Cathead considered that this was placing him in a false position and
tried to protest; but Biscuit drowned him out.

"Say! I've took part in everything they've had in Sunday School ever
since I was a littie-bittie baby! I can take any ol' part!"

"Can you plead?" asked Sube.

"Can I plead? _Can_ I! Say! You jus' oughta hear me when I get
started--"

"Did you ever take a girl part?"

Biscuit frowned. "I could, but I don't want to.