retense behind his aunt's upright back of throwing a ball
while the other child held up two fat little hands to receive it. Again
he laughed aloud as Jimmy spat on his hands and ground the imaginary
ball into his hip.

She looked at him sternly over her glasses:

"What makes you so silly?" she inquired, and without waiting for a reply
went on with her reading; she was nearing the close now and she read
carefully and deliberately.

"And he was chosen the first president of the United States."

Billy put his hands to his ears and wriggled his fingers at Jimmy, who
promptly returned the compliment.

"He had no children of his own, so he is called the Father of his
Country."

Miss Minerva closed the book, turned to the little boy at her side, and
asked:

"Who was this great and good man, William?"

"Jesus," was his ready answer, in an appropriately solemn little voice.

"Why, William Green Hill!" she exclaimed in disgust. "What are you
thinking of? I don't believe you heard one word that I read."

Billy was puzzled; he was sure she had said "Born in a manger." "I
didn't hear her say nothin' 'bout bulrushes," he thought, "so 'tain't
Moses; she didn't say 'log cabin,' so 'tain't Ab'aham Lincoln; she
didn't say 'Thirty cents look down upon you,' so 'tain't Napolyon. I
sho' wish I'd paid 'tention."

"Jesus!" his aunt was saying, "born in Virginia and first president of
the United States!"

"George Washin'ton, I aimed to say," triumphantly screamed the little
boy, who had received his cue.

CHAPTER, XXIV

A FLAW IN THE TITLE

"Come on over," invited Jimmy.

"All right; I believe I will," responded Billy, running to the fence.
His aunt's peremptory voice arrested his footsteps.

"William, come here!" she called from the porch.

He reluctantly retraced his steps.

"I am going back to the kitchen to bake a cake and I want you to promise
me not to leave the yard."

"Lemme jes' go over to Jimmy's a little while," he begged.

"No; you and Jimmy can not be trusted together; you are sure to get into
mischief, and his mother and I have decided to keep the fence between
you for a while. Now, promise me that you will stay right in my yard."

Billy sullenly gave her the promise and she went back to her baking.

"That's always the way now," he said, meeting his little neighbor at the
fence, "ever sence Aunt Minerva got onto this-here promisin' business,
I don' have no freedom 't all