he murmured. "John Thomas, I see you drew a prize. What is it?"
John Thomas had been examining his parcel, and his face was very red. He held up two scarlet hearts impaled on a long tin arrow.
"I don't want to read the po'try," he said bashfully.
"Oh, yes," begged Miss Billy. "Go on, John Thomas. What do you care? It's all in fun."
The boy unfolded the paper obediently.
"He lives next door to Billy Lee,
He smiles at her incessantly,
His name they say is Hennes-sy,
And John.
"He little knows her temper bad,
He's never seen her when she's mad.
Misguided youth! His lot is sad,——
Poor John."
"Nonsense," said Miss Billy. "Your sentiments are as bad as your poetry, Ted. What's yours, Bea?"
Beatrice had a pair of huge scarlet carpet slippers, ornamented with a large bow of ribbon. Theodore read the verses:
"A pair of red slippers hung high in a shop,
Sing hey for the slippers so red!
And a maid passed that way and I saw the maid stop,
'I'll buy me the slippers,' she said.
"The pair of red slippers came down from the shelf,
Sing hey for the slippers so small!
And the maiden remarked, undertone, to herself,
'They'll look awful swell at a ball.'
"The pair of red slippers were jaunty and low,
Sing hey for the slippers so gay!
'But I don't want buckles, I wanted a bow,'
I heard the maid woefully say.
"The pair of red slippers were wrapped up and tied,
Sing hey for the pocketbook low!
And a youth who was near sauntered home at her side,
So the maid got the slippers and beau."