"Well, why'n't you drop it, then?"
"You s'pose I'm goin' to throw my c'lection away after all the trouble I been through with it?"
She slackened her gait, dropping back beside him. "Well, then, if you think you could keep up with me if you didn't have it, why'n't you leave it somewhere, and come back and get it after the fire's over?"
"No place to leave it."
She laughed, and pointed. "Why'n't you leave it at grandpa's?"
"Will you wait for me and start fair?"
"Come on!" They obliqued across the street, still running forward, and at their grandfather's gate Herbert turned in and sped toward the house.
"Take it around to the kitchen and give it to Kitty Silver," Florence called. "Tell Kitty Silver to take care of it for you."
But Herbert was in no mind to follow her advice; a glance over his shoulder showed that Florence was taking another unfair advantage of him. "You wait!" he shouted. "You stand still till I get back there! You got half a mile start a'ready! You wait till we can start even!"
But Florence was skipping lightly away and she caroled over her shoulder, waving her hand in mocking farewell as she began to run: