Part 7 (1/2)

”I think we had better go ho,” said one of theht to see what has become of poor Gardener He was very wet”

”Yes, but oh, how funny he looked!” And they all burst out laughing at the recollection of the figure he cut, scra up to the knees, and the water running out of his boots,a little pool, wherever he stepped

”And it freezes so hard, that by the tiets home his clothes will be as stiff as a board His ill have to put hiet out of them”

[Illustration: The ice suddenly broke, and in he popped]

Again the little people burst into shouts of laughter Although they laughed, they were a little sorry for the poor old Gardener, and hoped no great harot safe home and been dried by his oar already to rise, and the sun, though still high up in the sky, looked like a ball of red-hot iron as the six children went hoh still, but not quite so merry as they had been a few hours before

”Let's hope mother won't be vexed with us,” said they, ”but will let us coain to-morrow It wasn't our fault that Gardener tumbled in”

As somebody said this, they all heard quite distinctly, ”Ha, ha, ha!”

and ”Ho, ho, ho!” and a sound of little steps pattering behind

But whatever they thought, nobody ventured to say that it was the fault of the Brownie

[Illustration]

[Illustration]

ADVENTURE THE SIXTH AND LAST

BROWNIE AND THE CLOTHES

TILL the next time; but when there is a Brownie in the house, no one can say that any of his tricks will be the last For there's no stopping a Brownie, and no getting rid of him either This one had followed the faeneration--never any older, and soer by the tricks he played In fact, though he looked like an old man, he was a perpetual child

To the children he never did any harainst those who vexed the children But he gradually rown up eneht and late in the , found no more black footmarks on her white table cloth And Brownie found his basin of ht, behind the coal-cellar door

Bill, too, got on well enough with his pony, and Jess was taken no ave her milk quite comfortably to whoever milked her Alas! this was either Bill or the Gardener's wife now After that adventure on the ice, poor Gardener very seldom appeared; when he did, it was on two crutches, for he had had rheue door

Bill, therefore, had double work; which was probably all the better for Bill

The garden had to take care of itself; but this being winter-tinify Besides, Brownie seldo the hard weather he preferred to stop in his coal-cellar It ht not have been a lively place, but it arm, and he liked it

He had company there, too; for when the cat had rown up now--they were all put in a hahts Brownie used to jump in beside them, and be as wars never were heard to mew; so it may be supposed they liked his society And the oldshe had got byher over One thing you may be sure of--all the while she and her kittens were in his coal-cellar, he took care never to turn hi the winter, on the whole, very cohbors, when one day, the coal-cellar being nearly eon-load of coals behind the

”Myout before you put any more in,” said she, in her sharp voice; ”and don't be lazy about it It'll not take you tenluht clear that out too”

”Stop, it's the Brownie's lump! better not meddle with it,” whispered the little scullery-maid

”Don't you meddle with matters that can't concern you,” said the Gardener's wife, who had been thinking what a nice help it would be to her fire To be sure, it was not her luht take it; the mistress would never miss it, or the Brownie either