.

Tad sat down grinning broadly. He knew that his mother enjoyed this
good-natured badinage fully as much as the boys did.

Ned rapped on the table with his knuckles.

"Order, please, gentlemen!"

"That's I," chuckled Stacy, slipping into a chair.

"Laying all trimmings aside, Mrs. Butler, we have come to speak with
you first, after which we'll have something to say to your son."

Mrs. Butler sat down in the chair that Tad had placed for her.

"Very good. I shall be glad to hear what you have to say, Ned."

"The fact is---as I was about to say when interrupted by the
irresponsible person at my left-----"

"I beg pardon. _I'm_ at your left," remarked Walter.

"He doesn't know which is his left and which is his right," jeered
Chunky. "He's usually left, though."

"I refer to the person who was sitting at my left at the time I began
speaking. I had no intention of casting any aspersion on Mr. Walter
Perkins. As I was about to say, we are planning another trip, Mrs.
Butler."

"Where away this time, Ned?"

"To the Grand Canyon-----"

"With the accent on the _yon_," added Stacy.

"The Grand Canyon of the Colorado?"

"Yes, ma'am. Mr. Perkins has arranged it for us. Everything is fixed.
Professor Zepplin is going along and-----"

"That will be fine, indeed," glowed Tad's mother.

"Yes, we think so, and we're glad to know that you do. Tad didn't know
whether you would approve of the proposed trip or not. We
are---ahem---delighted to learn that you do approve of it and that you
are willing that Tad should go."

"Oh, but I haven't said so," laughed Mrs. Butler.

"Of course she hasn't. You see how little one can depend upon what Ned
Rector says," interjected Stacy.

Ned gave him a warning look.

"I should say that you approve of his going. Of course we couldn't
think of taking this trip without Tad. I don't believe Mr. Perkins
would let Walt go if Tad weren't along. You see, Tad's a handy man
to have around. I know Chunky's people never would trust him to go
without Tad to look after him. You see, Chunky's such an irresponsible
mortal-----"

"Oh, I don't know," interrupted the fat boy.

"One never knows what he's going to do next. He needs some one to
watch him constantly. We think it is the fault of his bringing up."

"Or the company I've been keeping," finished Chunky.

"At any rate, we need Tad with us."

"Then I shall have to say 'yes,'" replied Mrs. Butler, nodding and
smi