"Won't you please your father by minding what he says?" continued Mr.
Dallas.
"Yes, papa," replied Dimple, faintly, "I will be sure to mind, only I
wish you could let me see the house going up. It is such fun to climb
about over the boards and things."
"I know it is, and I know I'm requiring a great deal of you, but I think
in the end you will see why," returned her father.
"Have we many little chicks to go in it. I mean will there be a great
many?"
Mr. Dallas and Mr. Coulter glanced at each other and smiled; then Mr.
Dallas said, "It might be a good plan to go to the barn and see how old
Speckle is getting on. Her time is about up, so perhaps we'll find some
little chicks. I'll carry you there on my back."
"And maybe we'll find some eggs," spoke up Florence, who dearly liked to
hunt eggs. "We found two yesterday. Indeed, uncle, I think you do need
more hens, for auntie said yesterday that she didn't get all the eggs
she wanted."
They found old Speckle ready to be quite flustered when they took her
off the nest, for they found that four little chicks were already
hatched, and the shells of several other eggs were chipped.
Mr. Dallas gave the children each two of the little chicks to carry up
to the house, that they might be kept safely till Speckle came off with
the rest of the brood, and Bubbles, who had followed them, trotted along
behind with her hands full of the eggs they were fortunate enough to
find.
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