u really want
my honest opinion I believe I like this one's face the best," pointing
to Victoria, "though the other one there has a leetle the gayest
clothes. The dressy one got the prize you say. Now it seems like they
both ought to have a prize."

Mr. Akers fished a handful of coins out of his pocket and selecting a
brand new dime which shone brightly among its dingier companions,
presented it to Victoria with a flourish.

The children were delighted and Chicken Little started home comforted to
tell the family that May's mother and Mr. Akers thought Victoria was the
prettiest anyway.

The walk home proved almost as disastrous as the walk to the party. The
streets seemed entirely dry by this time and the three little girls,
chattering gaily about their good time, forgot to notice where they were
going.

Just before they turned into Front Street they passed a yard where men
had been digging a well. A quantity of the yellow clay had been
carelessly tossed over the fence upon the sidewalk to be hauled away.
This, alas, had been thoroughly soaked by the previous night's rain and
when Chicken Little stepped upon it with her cherished white shoes, her
small feet sank in up to her ankles. The white kid was sadly stained.
Katy and Gertie did their best to help her get it off, but the white
shoes were destined never to be white again. Mrs. Morton gave them a new
lease of life by having them bronzed a few days later.

Chicken Little long remembered the day of the doll party. It would seem
that Pete did also, for he never attempted to follow Chicken Little
outside the yard again.

CHAPTER XVIII

THE CHILDREN GO EXPLORING

One hot day soon after the party Dr. Morton handed his wife a letter
from Alice.

Mrs. Morton glanced through it while Olga cleared the table for the
dessert.

"Poor Alice--she is worried because Mr. Harding can't find either
letters or papers to prove her claim to the bank stock. It does seem
strange that all the letters from Mr. Gassett to her father should have
completely disappeared."

"Well," said Dr. Morton drily, "if you want to know my opinion, I
believe that Gassett got hold of them some way and destroyed them."

"It doesn't seem possible he would do anything so dishonest though I
don't like the man--he was so very rude the day he came here. Alice
wonders if it could be possible there are any of her father's papers
hidden away under the roof. You remember almost all of the close