THE COAL TO THE KINDLING WOOD 75 



promptly executing them with her knife. " Now, 

 where is the other bad Voiceless One ? " 



"The third is the Book Louse, a partner of 

 the Book Worm," said O-o-chug, " and even now 

 they are eating the paste that holds the binding 

 on those old, leather-covered books, on the high 

 shelf, that your father says you must never touch. 

 Tell him from me that he had better give those 

 books a sun-bath for their health, else their backs 

 will soon grow weakly and mayhap break." 



" Missy," said Waddles, suddenly waking up, 

 "was I right about the cookies?" 



" Yes, sir, you were ; but I was so busy with 

 these voiceless things that I forgot all about them. 

 No, don't help yourself ; wait until I break your 

 share into pieces and put it on a paper." 



Waddles stretched his legs, bowed his back, 

 and licked his lips, saying in a half-grieved voice : 

 " You always used to let me eat out of your hand 

 and never bothered about catching crumbs in 

 paper. Besides, I never spill crumbs." 



" I know it, Waddlekins, but it's one of your 

 responsibilities ; Lumberlegs slobbers and spills 

 such lots of crumbs, that mother said, 4 If you feed 

 the dogs in the house, they must eat from a paper.' 

 I guess rules are always made for the crumby 

 people." 



