“I am going to entertain you,” he said, politely.
“No, no, I only stay on condition that I don’t interfere with your regular occupations. Baby and I can amuse ourselves.”
“I assure you that I would rather stay with you than do anything else,” said the Judge.
“Well,” she returned, “you are a truthful man, and I believe you. Will you take me to see the pigeons first thing? But what shall we do with baby?”
“Higby,” said the Judge, “you are fond of children. You amuse him.”
The old man deliberately came forward and received the crowing baby in his arms.
Young Tom was too much accustomed to strangers to object, and at once he was fascinated by Higby’s teeth, which were rather large and curiously shaped. Insinuating all his pink fingers in the man’s mouth, to tried to take them out. They would not come.
“If you don’t object to that, Higby,” said Mrs. Everest, “it is a sure way to amuse him.”
Higby gurgled a reply in the affirmative, and Berty went away with the Judge.
“O, the lovely creatures,” she exclaimed, when a few minutes later they entered the pigeon loft, “and how tame they are!”