213
XVII ALL ABOUT UNCLE ISSACHAR'S VISIT 229
XVIII IN WHICH I DECIDE ON EXTREME MEASURES 254
XIX WHICH HAS TO DO WITH SOME LETTERS 267
XX "THE MONEY WE EARNT FOR YOU" 276

ILLUSTRATIONS

"What's your rush?" I asked, when I had overtaken
him. _Frontispiece_
Uncle Issachar 10
Dr. Felix Polydore 23
"Lucien Wade!" she gasped. "Here are our letters to
Beth and Rob." 80
He pleaded eloquently to be taken with us. 102
I babbled aimlessly to myself and then managed to
pull together and beat it to the lake 126
The landlady intears waylaid me 132
I had to carry Diogenes most of the way 168
Now and then above his howls, I heard Silvia's
plaintive protests outside the door 192
I held out my hand, which he shook solemnly, but
with an injured air 224
"He went to the front window and dropped a young
kitten down on the old gent's head." 242
"We heard a suppressed sneeze, and Rob pulled
Emerald from underneath." 256

OUR NEXT-DOOR NEIGHBOURS

CHAPTER I

_About Silvia and Myself_

Some people have children born unto them, some acquire children and
others have children thrust upon them. Silvia and I are of the last
named class. We have no offspring of our own, but yesterday, today,
and forever we have those of our neighbor.

We were born and bred in the same little home-grown city and as a
small boy, even, I was Silvia's worshiper, but perforce a worshiper
from afar.

Her upcoming had been supervised by a grimalkin governess who drew
around the form of her young charge the awful circle of exclusiveness,
intercourse with child-kind being strictly prohibited.

Children are naturally gregarious little creatures, however, and
Silvia on rare occasions managed to break parole and make adroit
escape from surveillance. Then she would speed to the top of the
boundary wall that separated