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The Prodigal Imp "Gertrude," said the Imp, with decision, "is my aunt, but I never call her that."

"No? Why not?" said the man.

"Because she's too young," answered the Imp, a flash coming into his eye. "She's only fifteen, and I won't call a girl that's only fifteen Aunt Gertrude. She's very angry that I won't. She says I ought to be made to. So Uncle Stanley says that he'll call her Aunt Gertrude; he'd just as soon. So one day they all called her Aunt Gertrude—all but me. She was very angry."

The man laughed very hard. "And why are you running away?" said he.

"Because they won't let me have guinea-pigs," said the Imp simply. It did not seem at all strange that the man should know he was running away; he only wondered that everybody hadn't noticed it.

"O-oh!" said the man. "To New York?"

"Yes, sir," replied the Imp. "I thought it was a good place."

Then, as there was no reply, he looked anxiously at his companion. "Isn't it?" he inquired.

The man looked out of the window thoughtfully. "Well, that depends," said he slowly, 164