On leaving Mrs. McQuilken the children went to Aunt Vi’s room and Jimmy kept repeating joyously:—­

“We’ve found the watch, we’ve found the watch!”

“Yes,” said Aunt Vi; “but what a wreck it is!  Your papa will have to spend a deal of money in repairing it.”

“Too bad!” said Lucy, “I ’spect ’twould cost him cheaper to buy a new one.”

“’Twouldn’t cost him so much; that’s what you mean,” corrected Jimmy.  “But I’m going to pay for mending it anyway.”

“How can you?” asked Kyzie.  “All you have is just your tin box with silver in it.”

“Well, but don’t I keep having presents?  And can’t I ask folks to stop giving me toys and books and give me money?  And they’ll do it every time.”

“But that would be begging.”

Jimmy’s face fell.  Yes, on the whole it did seem like begging.  He had not thought of that.

“Why can’t it ever snow in this country?” he exclaimed suddenly.  “Then I could shovel it.  That’s the way boys make money ‘back East’”

Then after a pause he burst forth again, “Or, I might pick berries—­if there were any berries!”

“It’s not so very easy for little boys to earn money; is it, dear?” said Aunt Vi, putting her arm around her young nephew and drawing him toward her.  “But when they’ve done wrong—­you still think you did wrong, don’t you, Jimmy?”

“He knows he did,” broke in Lucy.  “My papa lent me the watch.”

“She wasn’t talking to you,” remonstrated Jimmy.  “Yes, auntie, I did wrong; but Lucy needn’t twit me of it!  I won’t be characteristic any more as long as I live.”

Aunt Vi smiled and patted his head lovingly.

“No, dear, I think you’ll be more thoughtful in future.  But now let us try to think what can be done to pay for the watch.”

“I’ll let him have some of the money I get for teaching.  I always meant to,” said Kyzie.

“Very kind of you,” returned Aunt Vi; “but we’ll not take it if we can help it, will we, Jimmy?  I’ve been thinking it over for some days, children; and a little plan has occurred to me.  Would you like to know what it is?”

They all looked interested.  If Aunt Vi had a plan, it was sure to be worth hearing.

“It is this:  mightn’t we get up some entertainments,—­good ones that would be worth paying for?”

“And sell the tickets?  Oh, auntie, that’s just the thing!  That’s capital!” cried Edith and Kyzie.  “You’d do it beautifully.”

“I’m not so sure of that, girls.  But we might join together and act a little play that I’ve been writing; that is, we might try.  What have you to say, Jimmy?  Could you help?”

“I don’t know.  I can’t speak pieces worth a cent,” replied the boy, writhing and shuffling his feet.  “Look here!” he said, brightening.  “Don’t you want some nails driven?  I can do that first rate.”

Aunt Vi laughed and said nails might be needed in putting up a staging, and she was sure that he could use a hammer better than she could.