hem," said Miss Muffet, "but I've
sometimes thought that there may be only two, only they live in
different centuries and go to different wars. Boys can do that, can't
they, Mr. Spider, if they are very brave?"

The spider said he thought they could without changing their characters,
but of course they would have to change their names.

So an invitation was sent to Ronald Leslie, alias Wulf, Roger, Lionel,
Stanley, etc., On The Firing Line, Near Carthage, Quebec, Crecy,
Waterloo, Khartoum, or wherever the Enemy may be found in force. Forward
by a swift messenger, trusty and true.

"I shouldn't wonder if they might be a little late, for they may be
taken prisoner, and it always takes them some time to escape."

"Shall you invite any bad boys?" asked the spider.

[Illustration: The blighted being.]

"No," answered Miss Muffet severely, "not as a rule; but I think we
shall ask Mr. Aldrich's Bad Boy, for he is a blighted being. I think
it's our duty to have him,--and then it would be such fun. And I suppose
we ought to invite Huckleberry Finn and Tom Sawyer to keep him company."

"Of course you will invite all the good boys?"

"Of course we shall invite them, as a rule. But the good boys in the
books are almost too good sometimes; don't you think so, Mr. Spider? I
mean almost too good to be true. But that reminds me; I suppose we
should invite Rollo?"

"Yes," said the spider, "we certainly must invite Rollo; he's a worthy
lad, and of an inquiring mind."

"Oh dear!" said Miss Muffet, tearing up the letter she had just written,
"he's so intelligent. I'll have to write very correctly or he'll
criticise the spelling; and then if I invite Rollo, I shall have to
invite Jonas, too."

"Certainly," said the spider, "we must invite Jonas, and we must arrange
some moral amusement. Suppose in your invitation you leave out the word
'party' and ask him to attend a 'serious symposium.' How would this
do?--'Respected Sir, You are earnestly requested to attend a serious
symposium at Miss Muffet's, to meet the Rev. Swiss Robinson and other
persons interested in the education of youth. The Little Old Woman who
lived in a Shoe will preside. There will be a number of papers, to be
followed by a discussion.'"

"How good that is! Jonas would so love a discussion," said Miss Muffet.

"Shall we invite any giants?"

"No; I don't want to be exclusive, but we must draw the line somewhere.
Let's draw it at giants."

"Very well," said