The Planet Venus.

A day or so later, a thick envelope came through the mail for me.

“Is it,” said I to myself, “another of my stories rejected by a heartless editor?”

It was not! It was the story of “Midge,” written by “L. H. D.,” and it came just in time, for I had been having a miserable hour seeking a last chapter for the book, and here one fell—I might say—out of the sunny sky.

S. B. Dinkelspiel.

San Francisco, California.

CONTENTS

CHAPTER PAGE
I. IN WHICH WE MEET FLIP, ALTHOUGH HE WAS
SUPPOSED TO BE A SECRET		[ 1]
II. IN WHICH PETER SPILLS THE DEW OUT OF HIS
POCKET AND IT CAUSES A GREAT DEAL OF
BOTHER, BUT MR. SMITH, WHO IS THE KING
OF FAIRIES, PUTS AN END TO THE TROUBLE		[ 10]
III. IN WHICH WE BEGIN TO REALIZE HOW CONVENIENT
IT IS TO HAVE A PERSON LIKE FLIP
ABOUT THE PLACE, ESPECIALLY WHEN THERE
IS NOTHING MUCH TO DO; ALSO WE HEAR OF
MR. MORIARITY AND THE FAIRY WHO DID NOT
HAVE A RED CHIN BEARD AND A BALD HEAD		[ 19]
IV. IN WHICH MARTHA MARY INVADES THE CASTLE,
AND FATHER PROVES THAT HE CAN DO OTHER
THINGS BESIDES WRITING BUSINESS IN BIG
BOOKS. ALSO SOMEONE ARRIVES		[ 28]
V. IN WHICH FLIP TELLS MY FAVORITE STORY, AND
IF YOU DO NOT LIKE IT VERY MUCH, FLIP
KNOWS SOMEONE WHO WILL		[ 40]
VI. IN WHICH EDWARD LEE AND WALTER GO ON THE
WARPATH BECAUSE THEY DON’T KNOW WHAT
ELSE TO DO, AND ON ACCOUNT OF THEM
JOHN AND MARTHA MARY MISS HEARING THE
MELODRAMA		[ 49]
VII. IN WHICH LIZA GOES UNDER THE SIDEBOARD;
WALTER AND EDWARD LEE FIX THE CAT, AND
FLIP PROVES THAT THE CITY FOGS ARE NICE		[ 67]
VIII. IN WHICH MARTHA MARY HAS A WONDERFUL
DAY AND LEARNS THE LOVELIEST OF SECRETS
AND FLIP’S ASPIRATIONS ARE EXPLAINED		[ 76]
IX. IN WHICH IS TOLD THE STORY OF ALFRED OF
THE LOW COUNTRY, AND JANICE, WHO LOVED
THE QUEEN’S PAGE		[ 85]
X. IN WHICH JANE STAYS LONGER THAN SHE HAD
EXPECTED TO AND WE ENTERTAIN HER. AS
USUAL, FLIP TELLS A STORY		[ 99]
XI. IN WHICH WALTER DOES NOT WANT NINE
EIGHTS TO BE SEVENTY-TWO; AND MARTHA
MARY FEELS SO BADLY FOR HIM THAT SHE
GOES TO SEEK ADVENTURE. SHE FINDS IT		[ 110]
XII. IN WHICH ANOTHER JOHN AND ANOTHER MARY
WANDER FURTHER FROM HOME THAN THEY
EVER HAVE BEEN BEFORE, AND FIND A MARVELOUS
BALL OF GLASS, IN WHICH ONE SEES
THE STRANGEST THINGS		[ 120]
XIII. IN WHICH FLIP USES NEEDLESSLY LONG WORDS,
BUT, TO WIN OUR GOOD-WILL AGAIN, HE
TELLS A REAL OLD-FASHIONED FAIRY TALE		[ 133]
XIV. IN WHICH WINFRED IS GIVEN THE MOST
WONDERFUL WISH IN THE WORLD, AND I ADVISE
YOU ALL TO READ IT AND LEARN WHAT IT IS,
SO THAT IF, SOME DAY WHEN YOU ARE LEAST
EXPECTING IT, A FAIRY COMES AND OFFERS
YOU A WISH, YOU WILL KNOW FOR WHAT TO
ASK		[ 155]
XV. IN WHICH, FOR THE FIRST TIME IN A LONG
TIME, I DO NOT TALK AT ALL, BUT AM WELL
CONTENT TO SIT QUIETLY BY AND LISTEN TO
THE LOVELY NEWS THAT L. H. D., WHO, YOU
WILL REMEMBER, I TOLD YOU ABOUT IN THE
PREFACE, HAS BROUGHT		[ 167]

CHAPTER I

IN WHICH WE MEET FLIP, ALTHOUGH HE WAS SUPPOSED
TO BE A SECRET