u know?"

"But why _kidnapper_?" insisted the little old man.

"I suppose because he naps kids. My uncle Will calls Roger and me
'kids.' It is n't very nice of him, is it?" she asked, glad to air her
grievance.

"Child-stealer would be more to the point, I think, or
infant-abductor," remarked the old gentleman, who saw, perhaps, how
anxious Betty was for sympathy, and was determined not to give her
another opportunity of considering herself injured.

He seemed to be very busy considering the subject for a second or so,
and then he said suddenly: "But if you want to go, why, come along, for
I must be off. But don't make a practice of it, mind, when you get
back."

"You have n't told me where yet," suggested Betty.

"True; so I have n't," said the old gentleman, setting his
three-cornered hat firmly on his head and settling the fine laces at
his wrists. "It's to By-and-by. And now, if you 're ready, off we go!"

He took Betty's hand, and she suddenly found herself moving through the
air in a most remarkable manner,--not touching the ground with her
feet, but seeming to skim along quite easily and with no effort at all.

"If you please, Mr.--" She paused because she suddenly remembered that
she did not know the name of the gentleman who was conducting her on so
delightful a journey.

"Bombus," said he, cheerfully,--"B. Bombus, Esq., of Clovertop Manse,
Honeywell."

"But you 're not a minister, are you?" inquired Betty.

"No; why?" returned the gentleman, quickly.

"Because you said 'Manse.' A manse is a minister's house, is n't it?"
asked Betty.

"No, not always," Bombus replied. "But I call my place Clovertop Manse
because it belongs to me and not to my wife, do you see? I call it
Manse because it _is_ a man's. It is perfectly plain. If it was a
woman's, I 'd say so."

"Well, I don't think you 're much of a _humble_-bee--" began Betty, and
then caught herself up short and stopped.

Mr. Bombus gave her a severe look from under his three-cornered hat,
but did not reply at once, and they advanced on their way for some
little time in silence. Then the gentleman said:

"I 've been thinking of what you said about my not being a humble-bee.
Of course I am not a humble-bee, but you seemed to lay considerable
stress on the first part of the word, as if you had a special meaning.
Explain!"

Poor Betty blushed very red with shame and confusion; but the gentleman
had a commanding way with him and sh