THE COAL TO THE KINDLING WOOD 73 



for if he holds the Wool Exchange all summer 

 in your pretty gown, it will be fit for nothing but 

 Rag Fair in the autumn. 



"How do I know this? Despised as he is, 

 persecuted by men and spiders, beaten out of 

 houses and caught by the wings on sweet sticky 

 paper, O.-o-chug, the House Fly, sees a thing or 

 two as he walks head downward on the ceiling, 

 and I see two other Voiceless Ones in this room 

 that ought to be put out." 



" Oh, what are they ? " cried Anne, starting up 

 and looking into the shadowy corners ; " I can't 

 see a thing. There, I've pinched that Moth, and 

 he has all turned to gray dust." 



" I know you don't see anything ; that is why 

 the things are very dangerous. Take up the 

 corner of the rug behind the sofa what do you 

 find?" 



" Some mites of beetles, kind of mottled, with 

 a wavy red line on their backs ; they look some- 

 thing like Lady Bugs. Oh ! and when I touch 

 them they draw up their legs and play dead." 



" They are not Lady Bugs, but father and mother 

 Carpet Beetles. They fly about, in and out, in 

 the summer season and feed upon plants ; but 

 when they lay their eggs they creep into floor 

 cracks and dark crannies. In a few days, if it 



