tice that the shilling had been stolen."

"You mean," said she, "that you were proposing to steal it yourself?"

I disregarded the question. "I never did trust that nurse," said I.
"But to steal the treasured capital of a defenceless infant!"

"I am the thief," said my wife, "and you are the receiver. Whether
or not the telegraph-boy will be jointly charged with us is for the
police and Albert to decide between them."

At this moment the nurse entered and asked what we required of her. My
wife was confused, but not so I. I told nurse we required nothing of
her but much of Albert. Would she ask him to step downstairs?

We assembled in the porch, my wife, Albert, the nurse, and the
telegraph boy. I took the chair.

"Ladies and gentlemen," said I, "I have a proposal to lay before the
meeting with a view to adjusting the acute crisis. Let me remind you
of the facts:--The gentleman on my right," and I indicated Albert,
whose attention wandered a little, "was recently possessed of a tooth,
two parents, and a godfather of the name of Carr. The tooth, as teeth
will, had to be removed; the parents, as parents may, advanced
a shilling upon it; and the godfather, as godfathers needn't,
telegraphed to say he was coming forthwith to the _locus in quo_.
Things were so when Mr. (I didn't catch your name, Sir," and I turned
to the telegraph boy) "threatened to liquidate us unless his debt was
satisfied. Business is, as he very properly remarked, business. "Now
for my suggestion: Albert," and I turned to him again, "will have, the
telegram, which, being from _his_ godfather, is rightly his. He will,
however, take it subject to encumbrances, of which, I understand, he
has already discharged all but threepence. Happily his parents are
willing to withdraw their first charge on his personal assets, and
I have much satisfaction, Sir"--I bowed to the telegraph boy--"in
presenting you with the goods, which were as recently as yesterday
valued at no less than a shilling, and in asking you to keep the
balance as a mark of our unshaken affection and esteem."

And I handed him Albert's tooth.

* * * * *

"Accused, who gave the name of Janet Arthur, quoted Scott's
'Wha Hae' and other works."--_Lincolnshire Echo._

Such as the Wha-Haeverley Novels.

* * * * *

[Illustration: THE WORLD'S WORKERS.

_Little Girl._ "PLEASE, MRS. MURPHY. MUVVER SAYS, IF IT'S FINE,
TO-MO