Page:The New-Year's Bargain (1884).djvu/108

 wouldn't cry, because he was a man and the head of a family. When the carriage was quite out of sight, he walked down to the house to see if it would make him feel better. But it looked empty and lonely, with no cunning little figure trotting about, broom in hand; and was altogether so dismal that the poor little man couldn't bear it, and, as there was nobody to see, he just sat down and cried as hard as Dotty herself. Next day he, too, went away. And since then nobody has lived in the cottage; but the neighbors still tell of the droll little housekeepers, and the nice times they had there."

"Oh, don't go! Tell us another," pleaded the children, as June rose gently from her seat.

"Look at the clock!" remonstrated June.

Sure enough, it was half-past nine. How the hours had flown!

"I'm nothing unless I have plenty of roses," she went on; "and so far I've only this handful to begin with. The rest are in your can, you know."

"Take some more,—pray do!' entreated