omised not to bother her mother, and she stood still for a moment. But
the idea of the bandits was too alluring, and so she proceeded to the
house, putting her head timidly in at the dining-room door, where her
mother was still busy.

"Mamma," she said, "are potatoes very expensive?"

"No, not very. What a funny question. Did you come all the way in here
to ask that?"

"No, mamma, not exactly; but do they cost too much for you to give us
half a dozen for our bandits?"

"For your bandits! What do you mean?"

"Why, we are going to have a lovely play--Rock made it up--and we can't
have any bandits unless we have heads for them, and I said potatoes
would do, because they have eyes. May we have half a dozen?"

Mrs. Dallas smiled. "Yes, but you must not ask Sylvy or Bubbles to get
them for you."

"I'll get them if you will tell me where they are."

"They are down in the cellar. Please, Dimple, don't bother me again. Try
to play without coming up after things all the time."

"Yes, mamma," Dimple replied, very meekly. "I wouldn't have come this
time if it had been for anything but the bandits."

Mrs. Dallas let her go, and then called her back, for she had seen a
little wistful look in the child's face when her mother spoke shortly.
"Come, kiss me, dear," she said. "I want you to know that you are quite
welcome to the potatoes. They will make very inexpensive and harmless
playthings, and I hope your bandits will turn out just as you want them
to."

Dimple gave her a grateful hug.

"You may stop in the kitchen and get a turnover apiece for you three
children. Tell Sylvy I said you might."

"Oh, mamma, how dear you are," and the happy little face disappeared.

The six potato-headed bandits proved most venturesome creatures, and
kept their captive safe from her would-be rescuers, till she was
redeemed by the payment of a hundred pieces of gold, represented by
buttercup petals, and the morning passed so quickly that the children
could scarcely believe it, when Bubbles came--as they had told her to
do--to tell them it was time to set the dinner-table.

"Shall I fill up the cave?" Rock asked.

"Oh no, we might want to use it again," Dimple decided. "That was such a
lovely, exciting play, Rock."

"Then we'd better cover up the cave. Some one might step in it, and get
hurt."

After hunting around, an old battered tin pan was found, which was laid
over the entrance, but, alas! it was not proof against Bubbles'
un