"Here, Alice, will you please take this child--that is, if you have a germ-proof certificate about you to show to his mother.

I want to take off my bonnet and gloves." "Take him?
Of course I'll take him," laughed Alice; "and right under his mother's nose, too," she added, with a playful grimace at Billy.

"And we'll make pat-a-cakes, and send the little pigs to market, and have such a beautiful time that we'll forget there ever was such a thing in the world as an old germ.

Eh, babykins ?" "Babykins" cooed his unqualified approval of this plan; but his mother looked troubled.
"That's all right, Alice.

You may play with him," she frowned doubtfully; "but you mustn't do it long, you know--not over five minutes." "Five minutes! Well, I like that, when I've come all the way from Boston purposely to see him," pouted Alice.