Two little girls rolling two doll buggies in which reposed two enormous rag-babies were seen approaching.

“That’s Lina Hamilton and Frances Black,” said Jimmy, “they’re my chums.”

Billy took a good look at them.  “They’s goin’ to be my chums, too,” he said calmly.

“Your chums, nothing!” angrily cried Jimmy, swelling up pompously.  “You all time trying to claim my chums.  I can’t have nothing a tall ’thout you got to stick your mouth in.  You ’bout the selfishest boy they is.  You want everything I got, all time.”

The little girls were now quite near and Jimmy hailed them gleefully, forgetful of his anger.

“Come on, Lina, you and Frances,” he shrieked, “and we can have the mostest fun.  Billy here’s done come to live with Miss Minerva and she’s done gone up town and don’t care if we sprinkle, ’cause she’s got so much ’ligion.”

“But you know none of us are allowed to use a hose,” objected Lina.

“But it’s so much fun,” said Jimmy; “and Miss Minerva she’s so Christian she ain’t going to raise much of a rough-house, and if she do we can run when we see her coming.”

“I can’t run,” said Billy, “I ain’t got nowhere to run to an’—­”

“If that ain’t just like you, Billy,” interrupted Jimmy, “all time talking ’bout you ain’t got nowhere to run to; you don’t want nobody to have no fun.  You ’bout the picayunest boy they is.”

Little Ikey Rosenstein, better known as “GooseGrease,” dressed in a cast-off suit of his big brother’s, with his father’s hat set rakishly back on his head and over his ears, was coming proudly down the street some distance off.

“Yonder comes Goose-Grease Rosenstein,” said Jimmy gleefully.  “When he gets right close le’s make him hop.”

“All right,” agreed Billy, his good humor restored, “le’s baptize him good.”

“Oh, we can’t baptize him,” exclaimed the other little boy, “’cause he’s a Jew and the Bible says not to baptize Jews.  You got to mesmerize ’em.  How come me to know so much?” he continued condescendingly, “Miss Cecilia teached me in the Sunday-School.  Sometimes I know so much I I feel like I’m going to bust.  She teached me ’bout `Scuffle little chillens and forbid ’em not,’ and ’bout ’Ananias telled Sapphira he done it with his little hatchet,’ and ’bout “Lijah jumped over the moon in a automobile:  I know everything what’s in the Bible.  Miss Cecilia sure is a crackerjack; sties ’bout the stylishest Sunday-School teacher they is.”

“’T was the cow jumped over the moon,” said Frances, “and it isn’t in the Bible; it’s in Mother Goose.”

“And Elijah went to Heaven in a chariot of fire,” corrected Lina.

“And I know all ’bout Gabr’el,” continued Jimmy unabashed.  “When folks called him to blow his trumpet he was under the haystack fast asleep.”

Ikey was quite near by this time to command the attention of the four children.