"Nellie, me s'ould 'ike to gaver some myse'f," whimpered the tiny voice.
He hesitated no longer, but sprang up. "Come to the gate, and I'll let you in," he said, in a low voice; and then added, "but you must go out again as soon as she has got some."
The next minute Bab was down in the soft, sweet grass, gathering the daisies with both little hands.
"Master Dreamer" did not seem very comfortable, however, and watched his play-fellows cautiously. All at once two of them stopped their game, and came running up.
"Go out! go out!" cried Dreamer, eagerly, "or they'll hurt you."
But already the rude boys were upon them.
"Turn them out! turn them out!" they shouted, and one of them caught Bill by the shoulder, while the others began roughly to hustle Nellie and poor, wondering Bab. This our little gentleman could not stand. Wildly he hit out right and left, keeping between Nellie with Bab in her arms and her two cowardly assailants, until they and Bill were safe outside the gate. Then he shut it, and stood with his back against it.
The other boys were very indignant, and many a buffet poor Dreamer got.
The last the three children saw of him, as they turned out of the square, he was lying on the grass, crying bitterly, his little sister standing beside him, crying too.
"You baby!" sneered one of the boys, "blubbering because you got hit!"