I tried to keep my eyes on the fire, but I could not, and just had to turn and look at him.
He was holding his book up between himself and his mother, and was opening his mouth as wide as he could and throwing back his head, pretending to howl.
For the life of me I could not help giving a loud howl.

Mrs.Morris looked up and said, "Bad Joe, keep still." The boys were all laughing behind their books, for they knew what Ned was doing.

Presently he started off again, and I was just beginning another howl that might have made Mrs.Morris send me out of the room, when the door opened, and a young girl called Bessie Drury came in.
She had a cap on and a shawl thrown over her shoulders, and she had just run across the street from her father's house.

"Oh, Mrs.Morris," she said, "will you let Laura come over and stay with me to-night?
Mamma has just gotten a telegram from Bangor, saying that her aunt, Mrs.Cole, is very ill, and she wants to see her, and papa is going to take her there by tonight's train, and she is afraid I will be lonely if I don't have Laura." "Can you not come and spend the night here ?" said Mrs.Morris.
"No, thank you; I think mamma would rather have me stay in our house." "Very well," said Mrs.Morris, "I think Laura would like to go." "Yes, indeed," said Miss Laura, smiling at her friend.

"I will come over in half an hour." "Thank you, so much," said Miss Bessie.