The Imp and the Angel
mice in the trap for him to see; Annie, the cook, did not beckon him to her with warm molasses cookies; Fritz, the bathing-master, did not swim out to sea with him on his broad brown shoulders. What was such a boy like? The Imp determined to see for himself, and after dinner, when Mrs. Schuyler had gone up for her nap, and Algernon was waiting to be taken up for his, the nurse was astounded to see a jolly, brown little boy approach her charge and open conversation with a cheerful "Hullo!"
"Hullo!" replied Algernon politely.
"Do you want to see my fort?" inquired the Imp.
Algernon nodded eagerly, but the nurse shook her head. "Master Algy must have his nap now," she said; and that would have ended the matter, probably, if the nurse had not noticed the clerk waving a bunch of letters at her. "Oh, that's the mail!" she cried. "You just wait here a jiffy, Master Algy, till I get it," and the boys were alone.
"Where is your fort?" asked the Angel quickly. "Could we see it before she gets back?"
The Imp looked doubtful.
7
