"We've a man named Jerry Simms who does that at our house," said Russ, when he learned what William did for Aunt Jo. "Jerry is a soldier, or he was. Are you a soldier, Mr. William?" "No, but I may be, some day," he answered. "Have you got any corn shuckers here?" asked Laddie. "A corn shucker? No. What's that?" "Well, it's a thing, and you put ears of corn in a spout and turn a wheel and the kernels of corn come out of one end, and the empty cob comes out of the other end. Grandma Bell's got one." "And we put Rose's doll in and shucked off all her buttons," added Russ. "That's what they did," said Daddy Bunker. "I'm glad you haven't one here, William. Rose didn't like it when all the buttons came off her doll." "But it was lots of fun," added Laddie. "Maybe I could think up a riddle about a corn shucker, if I tried real hard." "Oh, look! Here's a hose!" cried Russ, as he saw one with which William had been washing the automobile. "May we squirt it?" "I'm afraid you'll get wet," said the chauffeur, with a look at Mr. Bunker. "A little water won't hurt them," said the children's father. "They have on their old clothes. But perhaps you don't want them to take it." "Oh, I was going to water the lawn, anyhow," said William; "and I'd just as soon they would do it if you don't mind." "Hurray!" cried Laddie. "I'm going to have first turn at squirting!" insisted Russ. Their father settled this little dispute by saying that Vi and the two older boys might have the hose for five minutes at a time, and he would stay near by to see that everything was fair. So Laddie and Russ and Vi began to sprinkle the lawn, while Margy and Mun Bun found a pile of clean sand near the garage, where they could play. And now I must tell you something that happened to Rose and her mother. They were walking down one of the Boston streets, after having bought some things in one of the stores, when Rose, who was walking a little ahead of her mother, suddenly called: "Look! Look, Mother!" "What is it?" asked Mrs. Bunker. "It's a pocketbook," went on Rose, pointing to one on the sidewalk. "And it looks as if it had money in it. Shall I pick it up, Mother?" "Yes. Why not?" said Mrs. Bunker, glancing about, and seeing no one who might have dropped it. "Why shouldn't you pick it up, Rose?" "'Cause maybe it's an April fool one, and somebody will pull it away with a string," the little girl answered. CHAPTER VII A SAD LETTER April fool was something Mrs. Bunker had not thought of as she looked at the pocketbook lying on the sidewalk. As Rose had said, it did seem to have money in it, but perhaps it might be stuffed with paper. Then, too, there might be a string tied to the wallet, and boys, hidden somewhere near, might pull on the string and yank the pocketbook away just as soon as any one stooped over to pick it up. Still Mrs. Bunker said to Rose: "This is too late for April fool. This is August, and no boys would think of playing such tricks now."