ttie, a child of five, stood in the middle of the
room, with clenched fists and puckered red face, screaming at the top of
her voice, while Susie sat on the floor near nursing a rag doll with
perfect composure and calmness.

"Naughty Dottie!" said Iris earnestly, "to make such a noise. What's
the matter?"

Dottie could not speak, for she was using all her breath to scream with,
but she held out an appealing dumpy arm, and pointed to the doll.

"Why, that's Dottie's doll, Susie," said Iris, turning to the other
little girl; "did you take it from her?"

Susie nodded, still with an unmoved countenance, and Dottie redoubled
her screams. Iris put both hands over her ears in despair.

"Dottie," she said, "if you don't try to leave off I shall put you to
bed, and let Susie keep the doll."

It was not at all easy for Dottie to leave off when she was once well
set going, but she checked herself a little.

"Give the doll back, Susie," said Iris.

Susie looked up to see if her sister were in earnest, and meeting a
glance of great severity she rose and advanced towards Dottie sideways,
with one finger in her mouth, and holding the doll by the legs, head
downwards. Dottie, still sniffing and sobbing, made a convulsive snatch
at it.

"Kiss each other," said Iris, for this was always a sign that the
quarrel was over for the time and peace agreed on between the two little
girls. They had hardly given each other the angry embrace usual at such
moments when a boy's voice rang shrilly from the top of the stairs.

"Iris, Iris! Where's Iris? Oh, Iris, do just come here!"

Poor mother! Any chance of her getting some sleep must be over long
ago. It was impossible to keep the children quiet.

"Clement," said Iris impatiently, as a boy in knickerbockers came
tumbling down-stairs at headlong speed, "I do think you might remember
that mother has a headache. Why can't you come and find me instead of
shouting about like that?"

"Oh, I say," said Clement, stopping short and staring at her, "aren't
you just cross this evening! What makes you in such a tremendous
temper?"

Iris felt almost inclined to cry.

"What do you want me for?" she said in a resigned and injured voice.

"Why, just look here!" Clement raised one knee and displayed a wide
rent in his knickerbockers, of the shape known as a "trap-door."
Through this he stuck his fingers, that it might be shown to better
advantage. "Caught it on a nail on the squirrel