“Aint she a trump, Nick? I tell ye, old man, ye needn’t never have no fears thet ye’ll leave _this_ place agin till ye’re toted out ter yer last beddin’ down. No, siree; not while thet leetle girl owns yer. Do yer believe me, sonny?” Nick evidently did believe it, for he promptly put his mark thereto by raising a very slobbery muzzle and rubbing it against Hiram’s sleeve. HOW NED TOODLES TOLD TIME HOW NED TOODLES TOLD TIME “Denise, darling, are you upstairs?” called Aunt Helen, at the foot of the playhouse stairs. “Yes, auntie; do you want me?” “Only to know whether you have seen John anywhere about, dear.” “I think he has gone with Sunshine and Flash to the blacksmith’s. I saw him lead them away about half an hour ago.” “Dear me, that is too bad, for we need him very much.” “What is it, auntie? Can I do it for you?” “Why, the grocer has just delivered the morning’s order, but has forgotten to bring the half barrel of sugar ordered, and cook is nearly beside herself, for she is in the midst of her jelly-making and needs the sugar very much.” “Oh! let me go after it. It will be lots of fun.” Aunt Helen laughed as she gave her consent, and a moment later Denise had let down the bars of the day stall and was dragging Ned Toodles out by his forelock, much to that animal’s disgust, for it was nearly twelve o’clock, and that meant dinner time for him. It took her only a jiffy to whisk his harness on him, and a few moments later she rattled out of the playhouse, down the driveway, and through the gate. It was not more than a mile to the village, but that mile tried Denise’s patience. Ned bounced and jerked along, first upon one side of the road and then upon the other, in order to show his disapproval at being sent upon an errand just at dinner time. “I certainly think I shall do something dreadful to you, if you don’t behave yourself. What makes you act so, anyway?” she cried, as she drew up his rein and cracked her whip threateningly. “I’d be ashamed of myself to make such a fuss just because I thought my dinner was going to be half an hour late,” she continued, in a scathing tone. A fig cared Ned for anybody’s opinion, and as Denise came up to the store at which she had to stop and turned around so that Ned was headed toward home, he gave his head a saucy wag, as though to say: “Perhaps some people had better reserve their opinions until they are asked.” Tie-strap in hand, Denise hopped out of the wagon, but just as she was about to tie Ned, for she had very pronounced misgivings of his sense of honor, the proprietor of the store slipped out to say: “I know what you have come for, Miss Denise, but we will send it at once.” “I will take it with me in the back of my wagon, Mr. Groves, thank you.”