"May she? well, that's jolly now. She was afraid you wouldn't give her
the money; so I'll tell her it's all right;" and innocent Toady nodded
approvingly.

"Oh, she expects some of my money, does she?"

"Course she does; ain't you always saying you'll remember us in your
will, because father was your favorite nephew, and all that? I'll tell
you a secret, if you won't let Polly know I spoke first. You'll find
it out to-night, for you 'd see Van and she were sweethearts in a
minute."

"Sweethearts?" cried Aunt Kipp, turning red in the face.

"Yes'm. Van settled it last week, and Polly's been so happy ever
since. Mother likes it, and _I_ like it, for I'm fond of Van, though
I do call him Baa-baa, because he looks like a sheep. We all like it,
and we 'd all say so, if we were not afraid of you. Mother and Polly,
I mean; of course we men don't mind, but we don't want a fuss. You
won't make one, will you, now?"

Anything more expressive of brotherly good-will, persuasive frankness,
and a placid consciousness of having "fixed it," than Toady's dirty
little face, it would be hard to find. Aunt Kipp eyed him so fiercely
that even before she spoke a dim suspicion that something was wrong
began to dawn on his too-confiding soul.

"_I_ don't like it, and I'll put a stop to it. I won't have any
ridiculous baa-baas in my family. If Mary counts on my money to begin
housekeeping with, she'll find herself mistaken; for not one penny