"It would be real kind. Miss."
She was glad she had offered, when she saw poor Matty's face beam at the sight of her only playmate.
A QUEER SNAKE.
BY MARY E.Q. BRUSH.
It was the Dalton children's first year in Florida. They enjoyed the sunshine, the balmy air and fragrant flowers very much. There was only one thing to mar their pleasure and that was their dread of snakes.
Tilly, the little colored girl who used to play with them sometimes, had big stories to tell.
"Dar's rattlers in de pine woods, hidin' on de sunny sides of stumps: and dar's a pow'ful sight o' moccasins down amonst de water-hyacinths near de bayou. Youse bettah look out, honey, or dey'll cotch youalls, shuah!"
Mabel, Tom, Hetty and Charlie talked the matter over very seriously, almost solemnly.
"Do you s'pose they'll crawl into the house?" Hetty said, her eyes large and round with fearful anticipations.