stay just because it had not
been convenient to let Jonas go with them. But when children are out of
humor, they are always very unreasonable.

"Why would not he let Jonas go?" asked Lucy.

"I do not know. Mother said it was because I did not ask him right."

"How did you ask him?"

"O, I interrupted him. He was reading."

"O, that is not the way. I never _interrupt_ my father if I want to ask
him any thing."

"Suppose he is busy, and you want to know that very minute; what do you
do?"

"I will show you. Come with me and I will ask him to let me stay with
you to-day."

So Lucy and Rollo walked in. When they came to the parlor door, they saw
that their parents were sitting on the sofa, talking about other things.

Rollo stopped at the door, but Lucy went in gently. She walked up to her
father's side, and stood there still.

Her father took no notice of her at first, but went on talking with
Rollo's father. Lucy stood very patiently until, after a few minutes,
her father stopped talking, and said,

"Lucy, my dear, do you want to speak to me?"

"Yes, sir," said Lucy, "I wanted to ask you if you were willing to let
me stay here to-day and play with Rollo, if you do not go to the
mountain."

"I do not know," said her father, hesitating, and patting Lucy on the
head--"that is a new idea; however, I believe I have no objection."

Lucy ran back joyfully to Rollo, and after a short time, her father went
home. Rollo, however, did not feel in any better humor, and all Lucy's
endeavors to engage him in some amusement, failed. She proposed building
with bricks, or going up into his little room, and drawing pictures on
their slates, or getting his storybooks out and reading stories, and
various other things, but Rollo would not be pleased.

Rollo ought, now, when he found that he must be disappointed about his
ride, to have immediately banished it from his mind altogether, and
turned his thoughts to other pleasures; but like all ill-humored people,
he _would_ keep thinking and talking, all the time, about the thing
which caused his ill-humor. So he sat in a large back entry, where he
and Lucy were, looking out at the door, and saying a great many
ill-natured things about the weather, and his father's giving up the
ride just for a little sprinkling of rain that would not last half an
hour. He said it was a shame, too, for it to rain that day, just because
he was going to ride.

Just then, his father spoke to him f