we haven't any in this family."

"I think so myself, Tess," agreed Ruth.

"Well! Nice boys like Neale," spoke up the loyal Dot, "wouldn't hurt any
family."

"But there aren't many nice ones like Neale," said Tess, with
conviction. "'Most always they seem to be getting into trouble and being
punished. The teachers don't like them much."

"Oh, _our_ teacher does," said Dot, eagerly. "There's Jacob Bloomer. You
know--his father is the German baker on Meadow Street. Our teacher used
to like him a lot."

"And what's the matter with Jakey now?" asked Agnes. "Is he in her bad
books?"

"I don't know would you call it 'bad books,'" Dot said. "But he doesn't
bring the teacher a pretzel any more."

"A pretzel!" exclaimed Ruth.

"What a ridiculous thing to bring," said Agnes.

"She liked them," Dot said, nodding. "But she doesn't eat them any
more."

"Why not?" asked Ruth.

"We--ell, Jacob doesn't bring them."

"Do tell us why not!"

"Why," said Dot, earnestly, "you see teacher told Jacob one day that she
liked them, but she wished his father didn't make them so salty. So
after that Jacob always brought teacher a pretzel without any salt on
it.

"'It's very kind,' teacher told Jacob, 'of your father to make me a
pretzel 'specially every day,' she told him, 'without the salt.' And
Jacob told her his father didn't do any such thing; _he_ licked the salt
off before he gave teacher the pretzel--an' she hasn't never eaten any
since, and Jacob's stopped bringing them," concluded Dot.

"Well! what do you think of that?" gasped Agnes. "I should think your
teacher _would_ lose her taste for pretzels."

"But I don't suppose Jacob understands," said Ruth, smiling.

"Oh, Ruth!" cried Agnes, suddenly. "It's at Mr. Bloomer's where Carrie
Poole's having her big party cake made. Lucy told me so. Lucy is
Carrie's cousin, you know."

"I heard about that party," said Tess. "It's going to be _grand_. Are
you and Aggie going, Ruth?"

"I'm sure I don't know," said the oldest Corner House girl. "I haven't
been invited yet."

"Nor me, either," confessed Agnes. "Don't you suppose we shall be? I
want to go, awfully, Ruthie."

"It's the first really _big_ party that's been gotten up this winter,"
agreed Ruth. "I don't know Carrie Poole very well, though she's in my
class."

"They live in a great big farmhouse on the Buckshot Road," Agnes said.
"Lucy told me. A beautiful place. Lots of the girls in my grade are
going. Trix Seve