and he's just as little and
cunning as a baby! And he shook hands with me. A gentleman held me up.
It was beautiful, but I'm awful tired."

"Oh, _were_ you troubled?" cried Delia. "Why didn't you just go in to ma
and she would have told you that I always come up right, and that
nothing ever happens to me, I'm so used to taking care of children. Why,
when we lived down town I used to take out the neighbors' children--over
to Staten Island and to Williamsburg, and always brought them home
safely. Then we hadn't half seen the curiosities, and we should have
missed the nice time with that lovely little Tom Thumb. And we thought
it such capital fun!"

Mr. Underhill really could not say a word. Tired as she was, the little
girl was full of delight. Jim tried to make some explanations and take
part of the blame, but Delia talked them all down and was so fresh and
merry that you couldn't imagine she had gone without her supper.

Mrs. Underhill stood at the area gate with a shawl about her shoulders.
The little girl let go of her father's hand and ran to her.

"Dear Mrs. Underhill," began Dele, "I expect you'll almost want to kill
me, but I never thought about your being worried, for no one ever
worries about me. I suppose it is because I never do get into any
danger. And you must not scold any one, for I was the eldest, except
Cousin Walter, and it was my place to think, but I didn't one bit. It
seemed awful funny, you know, to have it all over for the same money,
and we not paying anything at all! And I did take good care of Hanny.
She's had a lovely time--we all have. And please don't scold Jim. He's
been a perfect gentleman. We didn't do anything rude nor coarse, and
everybody was as polite to us as if we'd been Queen Victoria's children.
And so good-night."

"Jim, your father ought to give you a good thrashing. The idea! I
wouldn't have believed any child of mine could have had such a little
sense," his mother declared.

I don't know what might have happened, but just then Steve and Margaret
returned. And when Steve caught sight of Jim's sober face and heard the
story, he thought it very boylike and rather amusing. Besides, it seemed
a pity to spoil the good time. So he laughed, and told Jim he had
cheated Mr. Barnum out of a quarter, and that he would have to save up
his money to make it good.

"And he owes me nine cents toward the omnibus ride. He must pay me that
first," said his mother sharply.

"I wasn't adm