of the intense
cold, Miss Gilman permitted the scholars to enjoy the recess indoors and
they formed little groups about the great stove, eating their lunch and
discussing those topics which lay nearest their hearts.

"I guess my Randy knows 'most everything now," Prue was saying. "She has
such long lessons, and studies late, and she's seen the big stores, and
she's been to a concert full of fiddles where she saw a great big Primmy
Dommy!"

"Why, what's that?" asked little Hitty Buffum. "Wasn't she 'fraid when she
saw the Primny what yer call it comin'?"

"I do'no," said Prue, "she didn't say, but whatever 'twas, I guess 'twas
pretty big, my Randy said so."

Evidently the children considered that in Boston one might see strange
creatures of every type, and Randy Weston had been privileged to see one
of the largest. Just at this moment Hi Babson joined the little group.

"Want ter know what I done Saturday?" he asked, his black eyes gleaming
with mischief.

"I hadn't learnt my lessons fer Monday, and ma said I must stay up in the
spare room 'til I knew 'em all by heart. I didn't like ter stay up there
alone, but when I found I got ter, I set down on the mat an' 'twan't long
before I'd learnt half of 'em. Just 'bout that time I heard a awful
scratching an' then I 'membered that Uncle Joshua set a mouse trap down by
the beaury. When I looked, there was a little mouse in it, an' all to once
I knew what I'd like ter do.

"The bedclothes was pulled down over the foot-board, an' I could see the
slit in the tick where they poke in their hands to stir up the straw. I
put the trap with the mouse in it, in there among the straw, an' then I
went down just as quiet as I could, an' got old Tom an' tugged him
upstairs.

"When I put him on the bed an' held his head over the hole in the tick,
you'd oughter seen his tail switch! The mouse was a runnin' 'round in the
cage, an' Tom dove into the slit a scatterin' the straw all over the bed.
My! Didn't it fly?"

"Why you naughty, bad boy," said little Hitty Buffum.

"What _did_ they say to you," asked Prue.

"Ma didn't say much," said Hi. "I laid down on the floor and rolled over
an' over, a laughin' like anything 'til ma come in, an' she jest looked at
that bed, drove Tom out'n the room an' then she took hold er me, an' I,--I
had ter stop laughin' ter cry 'n Grandma Babson said, 'That boy'll yet
come to the gallus.'"

A group of the larger girls were comparing the letters wh