GRAY DAYS AND MERRY WAYS 



gency, articles for which one would suppose 

 squirrels could have no use. I saw her, one day, 

 toiling and tugging at a dark object which she 

 had managed to carry high up among the 

 branches of a maple-tree. The treasure fell to the 

 ground just when it seemed to be satisfactorily 

 lodged ; but, nothing daunted by the failure of her 

 undertaking, Madame Jolie-Queue immediately 

 set about raising it again. Rufus, appearing on 

 the scene at this critical juncture, was pressed into 

 service, and through their combined efforts the 

 mysterious object was once more lodged high up 

 in a tree-fork. After chatting a while over the 

 affair the little couple scampered gayly away, evi- 

 dently well satisfied with the result of their la- 

 bors; but they had hardly disappeared among the 

 swaying branches when a gust of wind sent their 

 treasure to the ground. It was unfortunate from 

 their point of view, but not an ill wind for me, as 

 through this occurrence I was enabled to investi- 

 gate the dark object, which proved to be merely a 

 lump of coal. 



By a remarkable coincidence this event oc- 

 curred during a coal strike, and one member of 

 our household insists that the provident Jolie- 

 Queue had some intimation or premonition of the 



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