n.

"He doesn't look very wicked just now," suggested Agnes.

"But where can we keep a goat?" demanded Ruth.

"Dot used to think one lived in the garret," said Tess, smiling. "But it
was only a ghost folks thought lived there--and we know there aren't any
such things as ghosts _now_."

"Don' yo' go tuh 'spressin' ob you' 'pinion too frequent erbout sperits,
chile," warned Uncle Rufus, rolling his eyes again. "Dere may hab been
no ghos' in de garret; but dere's ghos'es somewhars--ya-as'm. Sho' is!"

"I don't really see how we can keep him," said Ruth again.

"Oh, sister!" cried Tess.

"Poor, dear Billy Bumps!" exclaimed Dot, with an arm around the short,
thick neck of the goat.

"If yo' lets me 'spressify maself," said Uncle Rufus, slowly, "I'd say
dat mebbe I could put him in one oh de hen runs. We don't need 'em both
jest now."

"Goody!" cried Tess and Dot, clapping their hands. "Let's, Ruthie!"

The older sister's doubts were overborne. She agreed to the proposal,
while Agnes said:

"We might as well have a goat. We have a pig 'most every day. That pig
of Mr. Con Murphy's is always coming under the fence and tearing up the
garden. A goat could do no more harm."

"But we don't want the place a menagerie," objected Ruth.

Dot said, gravely, "Maybe the goat and the pig will play together, and
so the pig won't do so much damage."

"The next time that pig comes in here, I'm going right around to Mr. Con
Murphy and complain," declared Agnes, with emphasis.

"Oh! we don't want to have trouble with any neighbor," objected Ruth,
quickly.

"My! you'd let folks ride right over you," said Agnes, with scorn for
Ruth's timidity.

"I don't think that poor cobbler, Mr. Murphy, will ride over me--unless
he rides on his pig," laughed Ruth, as she followed Mrs. MacCall
indoors.

Tess had an idea and she was frank to express it. "Uncle Rufus, this
goat is very strong. Can't you fashion a harness and some kind of a cart
for him so that we can take turns riding--Dot and me? He used to draw
Sam Pinkney."

"Glo-ree!" grumbled the colored man again. "I kin see where I got my
han's full wid disher goat--I do!"

"But you _can_, Uncle Rufus?" said Tess.

"Oh, yes, chile. I s'pect so. But fust off let me git him shut up in de
hen-yard, else he'll be eatin' up de hull ob Mis' MacCall's
wash--ya'as'm!"

The poultry pens were fenced with strong woven wire, and one of them was
not in use. Into this enclosure Mr. Billy Bu