"Polly says they are ferrets," replies Bertie, dropping his eyes; "but I do not know what that means." So Dora asks Bertie to sit beside her, and she will tell him about the little ferrets. Just as she finishes a nice long story about an old ferret and a great long-tailed rat, a little girl's voice under the table calls out, "Come here, Bertie: I want to tell you something." Bertie slides down from the sofa, and runs to the table. He lifts up a corner of the table-cover and looks under. There is nothing to be seen there, except a pair of very crooked legs, which belong to the table, of course. "What does all that mean, I wonder!" Bertie says. And his eyes are as round as moons. But, before Dora can reply, the same voice says, "Go to the door, Bertie: there is something there for you." Bertie walks slowly toward the door, but stops halfway there, and asks, "Is it April-fool's Day?" And the voice under the table answers, "Go to the door and see." So Bertie tries to look bold, and marches up, like a soldier going to battle. "Left, left! right, right!" calls out the voice under the table. But this time it is loud and strong, like that of a captain of the drill. Bertie is a brave little boy: so he marches straight up to the door,--which stands open,--and looks out. Then he claps his chubby hands, and shouts, "Oh! it was my uncle Frank under the table. I forgot he was such a funny man. Oh, uncle Frank! How can you get in the house and out of the house, and nobody see you?" "Look down here at me!" says a strange barking voice from the bottom of the steps. Bertie looks, and sees something that makes his eyes brighter than ever. It is a great, black, shaggy dog, hitched to such a nice little express-wagon. The harness fits its wearer as nicely as can be, and has silver rings and buckles. The reins are red, white, and blue. A neat whip lies across the seat of the wagon. On the sides of the wagon, in large gilt letters, are the words, "CITY EXPRESS." The dog has a bright silver collar around his neck, with a small bell hung from it. The dog's name is on this collar. It is Nero. [Illustration] But when uncle Frank tells Bertie that the dog, and the wagon, and the pretty harness, and the whip, are all his own to keep, he is so glad that he jumps up and down like a young monkey. He says, "Thank you, thank you, uncle Frank! When I am a man, I shall try and be just like you." Then his uncle lifts him into the express-wagon, gives him the reins and the whip, and away they go, down the area-walk, to the stable. M. J. TAYLOR. [Illustration] THE GOOD SHIP "ROSA LEE." "GAYLY, gayly, over the sea, Over the sea and far away, Sail, my good ship 'Rosa Lee,' Bring ivory, silk, and gold to me In another summer's sunniest day.