"No," said Aunt Amanda, "I have never--had--any--children." "Why not?" said Freddie. "I have--never--been married," said Aunt Amanda. Freddie thought about this for a moment. "Didn't anybody ever want you?" said he. "No," said she, "nobody--ever--wanted--me." Freddie was puzzled. "But you're nice," said he. "That ain't enough," said Aunt Amanda. "What else do you have to be?" "You have to be pretty." "Weren't you ever pretty?" "I thought--so--once, but--but--I must have been mistaken. I guess I never was." Freddie thought it over, and announced his decision seriously. "_I_ would want you, anyway." Aunt Amanda stretched out a trembling hand to him and ran her fingers through his hair; then she threw both her arms around him and pressed him against her knee. He was much annoyed. He was afraid she might be going to kiss him; but she did not; instead, she pulled out her handkerchief and blew her nose. "How many children were there that you didn't have?" said Freddie, to change the subject. Aunt Amanda did not understand this at first, but she finally saw what he meant. What _did_ he mean? you may say. What he meant was--well, it is perfectly clear, but it is hard to explain. Anyway, Aunt Amanda understood him. "Three," said she. "Bobby was the oldest, and Jenny next, and James was the littlest one." "Did they all go to school?" "Oh dear no. Only Bobby. And once he played hookey, and was gone all day, and didn't come home until after dark, all muddy. I was terribly worried. He was a very mischievous boy, but he was his--mother's--own----" "Did he play marbles for keeps?" "Yes, but he went to Sunday-school just as regular, and liked it, and----" "He _liked_ it?" "Yes, of course, and he always took good care of Jenny----. She had little yellow curls. They went to Sunday-school together hand in hand, and he didn't even mind her carrying her dolly with her; she wouldn't go without it. He was so careful of her at street-crossings. She loved her dollies. She used to pretend that James was one of them." "Did James like that?" "Not very well, but he put up with it for quite a few minutes at a time. He couldn't be still very long. But he was pretty lonesome when Jenny had the measles." "I've had the chicken-pox. Did Bobby know how to mind his P's and Q's?" "He didn't mind anybody very well. Once I had a note from his teacher, and it said----" But Freddie never learned what sin Bobby had committed in school; for at that moment the shop door opened, and Mr. Toby thrust in his head and said: "Just got to get around to the barber-shop right away this minute; can't put it off no longer. Won't be gone twenty minutes. Freddie!" "Yes, sir," said Freddie, standing up. "Do you think you could look after the shop for twenty minutes, while I'm gone?"