have a good home."

"We'll just love him!" cried Bunny.

"And we'll give him lots of nice things to eat!" added Sue. "And I'll
let my dollie ride on his back."

"He'll like that, I'm sure," said Mr. Tallman with a smile. "Well,
that's what I came to see you about, and as long as it's all settled
I'll be getting back. I must see if the police have caught any of the
robbers."

"But when shall we have Toby?" asked Bunny.

"Can't we go with you and get him?" asked Sue.

"What sort of box was it that your papers were in?" asked Mr. Brown.
"Excuse us asking so many questions," he went on, "but I'd like to help
you, if I can, and, of course, the children are eager to have the pony."

"I don't blame them," said Mr. Tallman. "So I'll answer their question
first. I'll bring Toby over to-morrow. I'd do it to-day, but it's
getting late now, and I have lots to do. So, little ones, you may expect
Toby to-morrow. I'll drive over in the basket cart with him, and after
that he's yours."

"For ever?" asked Bunny.

"Yes, for ever."

"Won't you _ever_ want him back, even when you're rich again, and catch
the burglars that took your things?" asked Sue, wishing to make sure.

"Well, I don't believe I'll ever be rich," said Mr. Tallman with a
smile, "even though the police may catch the burglars and get back my
papers. But I promise that I'll never take Toby away from you. When your
daddy buys the pony he's yours as long as you want to keep him."

"Then we want to keep him for ever and ever!" exclaimed Bunny.

"And the next day after that!" added Sue, as if for ever and ever were
not long enough.

"And now to answer your question, Mr. Brown," went on Mr. Tallman, "I'll
say that I kept my stocks and bonds--those are the valuable papers," he
told the children--"I kept them in a queer old box that used to belong
to my grandfather. It was a brass box, but it was painted with red and
yellow stripes. Why it was my grandfather had the box painted that way I
don't know. He used to tell me, when I was a boy like Bunny here, and
went out to his house, that he bought the box from an old gypsy man, and
gypsies, you know, like bright colors.

"Anyhow, I kept my papers in that red-and-yellow-painted brass box. And
the other day, when no one was at home at our house, some one got in and
took the box. So now I'm very poor."

"Didn't a policeman see them take it?" asked Bunny.

"No, I'm sorry to say no one saw them. We don't know who it