may be up to."

"How do you mean--building?"

"Just what I say. He was picking up things in the yard to build with.
Stuff to begin with."

"Your father's stuff?"

"Yes."

"What does your father think of it?"

"I don't believe he's seen him. Father goes to work early."

"Of course he'll drive him off."

"Another one came and helped him," said Billy. "They were both working
hard when I came to school."

"Billy, you're fooling us."

"You can come and see for yourselves," said Billy. "You can see if it
isn't exactly as I've said."

"Let's do it."

It was agreed, and after school a number of small boys took with him
the road leading to Billy's home. As they went in by the shady back
yard, Billy held up his hand, saying:

"S-h-h-h-h--don't scare 'em! Now--come this way--look up there!"

Billy led the way into a corner and pointed up into an oak tree.

"There--right above that branch--see? They've got their sticks for the
foundation, and now they're finishing up. Quick--see that flash of
blue just where the sun shines! Look! look! they're pulling at that
bit of red yarn--I put it up there. My mother always hangs bits of
string about for 'em. My mother likes blue-birds."--_Written for Dew
Drops by Sydney Dare._

* * * * *

When anyone speaks to us in anger, we should remember that it takes
two to make a quarrel, and determine not to become one of the two.

* * * * *

ENID'S FLOWERS

[Illustration]

BY MARY E. Q. BRUSH

The first robin had come, so had the first bluebird and the first
hand-organ man; caterpillars were beginning to crawl along the sunny
side of the fence rails and everybody was housecleaning, so it was
quite certain that spring was here.

With it there came to the three little Ashley sisters three packets of
seeds.

A lady friend of their mother had sent them. Every one of them had
printed on it, "A Surprise Collection."

When the little, light-brown envelopes were opened, they were found to
contain several varieties of seeds. Some were like little, round,
brown pills--those were "sweet-peas," mamma said. Others were very
small indeed, like grains of powder, and some were like tiny,
grayish-green sticks--somebody said those were verbena seeds; and,
well, dear me, there were all kinds and shapes and sizes and grays and
browns.

Three neat, round beds were spaded up on the lawn, and Amy, Enid and
Ruth raked them o