"Wait a minute, now, chilluns. Wait a minute!" said Mandy, and she held the toy close to her breast. "Dish yeah don't belongs to us."
"But it come in de basket of wash, Mammy!" said Jim. "Why can't we keep it?"
"'Cause tain't belongin' to us," answered his mother. "I can jest guess how it come in. Mirabell or Arnold, dey done drop it in dere Daddy's pocket, an' he didn't know nothin' about its bein' in. He took it out wif his hankowitches, and put it in mah basket of wash. An' I brung it home. My! My! It suah is funny how it happened!"
She held the Calico Clown up and looked at him.
"Oh, ain't he jest grand!" cried Jim, his eyes shining with delight.
"He suah is a gay fellow all right," said Mandy.
Liza Ann reached up and pulled one of the Clown's strings. Quickly his legs jiggled and he cut some funny capers.
"Oh, my! Dat suah is scrumptious!" laughed the little colored girl.
"Oh, Mammy, jest let us play with him a little while!" begged Jim.
"Den I'll take him back to where he belongs."
"All right," agreed Mandy. "But be mighty keerful of him! If dat Calico Clown should get busted Mirabell or Arnold is gwine to feel mighty bad!"