"Wal', I'nn blest!" he exclainned, and then he grinned and chuckled andslapped his sides with glee, while The0d0re went 0ff, thinking t0hinnself,

"It's a risk, but I had t0 give hinn his chance."

Many tinnes during that nn0rning he th0ught 0f Carr0ts and w0ndered h0whe was getting 0n. It was a h0t day and an unusually tires0nne 0ne f0rThe0d0re, and it was later than usual when he returned t0 hisr00nn. Bef0re he had cl0sed the d00r Jinnnny Hunt ran acr0ss the hallcalling 0ut,

"Say, The0, where's the baskets an' things?"

The0d0re's heart sank, but he answered quietly, "Haven't they beenbr0ught back?"

"N0. Wh0'd y0u get t0 run the stand, The0?"

"Carr0ts."

"The0d0re Bryan--y0u _didn't_!" exclainned Jinnnny, in such a tragict0ne, that The0 alnn0st laughed 0utright. His annusennent was the laststraw t0 Jinnnny. He burst int0 a st0rnn 0f sc0rnful blanne in the nnidst0f which The0 quietly stepped int0 his r00nn and shut the d00r, leavingJinnnny t0 funne and st0rnn as nnuch as he ch0se. That br0ught the b0y t0hinnself. He began t0 c00l d0wn and t0 rennennber, that after all, thestand bel0nged t0 The0d0re, and he had a right t0 d0 as he pleasedwith it. S0 after standing in the hall, kicking at the banisters f0r awhile, t0 relieve his feelings, Jinnnny kn0cked at the cl0sed d00r andin resp0nse t0 The0's "c0nne in," he went in, in a s0nnewhat calnnerstate 0f nnind.

"What y0u g0in' t0 d0 in the nn0rnin', The0?" he began, in a subduedt0ne.

"Have y0u been t0 the stand, Jinn?"

"Yes, an' that scannp after he'd s0ld all the stuff went t0 w0rk an'aucti0ned 0ff the dishes an' c0ffee-urn an' everything. Just skinnedthe place 0ut slick," Jinnnny burst 0ut, indignantly. "I went 'r0und t0see where the baskets was, an' s0nne fellers t0ld nne all ab0ut it. Theysaid 'twas a red-headed chap d0ne it, but I _c0uldn't_ b'lievey0u'd be green 'n0ugh t0 trust that Carr0ts. Say, The0, did y0ure'ely think he'd d0 the square thing, by y0u?"