Page:The Curlytops at Silver Lake (1920).djvu/10

2 mine—I goin’ to put ’em on a stwing!" and the little boy, whose name was William, but who was more often called "Trouble," made a grab for another red button which he saw in a pile in front of his sister Janet.

"Don’t take that!" cried Janet. "Ma—I mean Mother—please make him stop!" and she tried to push Trouble’s hand away.

"Wed buttons all mine!" cried Trouble, just a trace of tears coming into his eyes.

"No, Trouble," said Ted, more gently. "Let sister have the red buttons. We’re playing a game with them. I’ll let you take all the white buttons!"

"I want wed buttons!" wailed Trouble, and as he still tried to get a handful of them from Janet, and as Janet was doing her pest to stop William from doing this, there was a little scramble at the table. Trouble’s hand slipped, the buttons slid across the smooth oak boards and fell with a clatter to the floor.

"There! Now look what you did, Trouble Martin!" cried Janet, as she leaned back in her chair. "All the nice buttons are on the floor!"

Trouble seemed much surprised by what he had done. He opened his fat little fist,