The days went merrily by for the freight-car family. Hardly a day passed, however, without some exciting adventure. Mrs. McAllister, finding out in some way that Violet was a clever seamstress, sent home fine handkerchiefs for her to . Each one had a tiny colored rose in the corner, and Violet was delighted with the dainty work. She sat sewing daily by the swimming pool while Benny sailed wonderful boats of chips, and around to his heart's content.  
The freight-car pantry now held marvelous dishes rescued from the dump; such rarities as a regular bread knife, a blue and gold soap dish, and half of a real cut-glass bowl.
 
Henry proudly deposited thirty-one dollars in the bank under the name of Henry James, and worked eagerly for his kind friend, who never asked him any more embarrassing questions.
 
Benny actually learned to read fairly well. The girls occupied their time making balsam pillows for the four beds, and trying to devise wonderful meals out of very little material. Violet kept a different daily in the little vase. She had a perfect genius for arranging three purple to look like a picture, or a single wood lily with its leaves like a Japanese print. Each day the children enjoyed a cooked dinner, filling in the chinks with perfect satisfaction with bread and butter, or bread and milk, or bread and cheese. They named their queer house, "Home for Tramps," and printed this title in fancy lettering inside the car.
 
One day Jess began to teach Benny a little arithmetic. He learned very readily that two and one make three.
 
"I knew that before," he said cheerfully. But it was a different matter when Jess proposed to him that two minus one left one.
 
"No, it does not left one," said Benny indignantly. "It left two."
 
"Why, Benny!" cried Jess in . "Supposing you had two apples and I took away one, wouldn't you have one left?"
 
"You never would," objected Benny with confidence.
 
"No, but supposing Watch took one," suggested Jess.
 
"Watchie wouldn't take one, neither," said Benny. "Would you, doggie?"
 
Watch opened one eye and wagged his tail. Jess looked at Violet in despair. "What shall I do with him?" she asked.
 
Violet took out her chalk and printed clearly on the outside of the freight car the following example:
 
2 - 1 =
"Now, Benny, don't you see," she began, "that if you have two things, and somebody takes away one, that you must have one left?"
 
"I'll show you myself," agreed Benny finally with resignation. "Now see the 2?" He actually made a respectable figure 2 on the freight car. "Now, here's a nice 1. Now, s'posen I take away the 1, don't you see the 2's left right on the car?" He covered the figure 1 with his hand and looked about at his audience expectantly.
 
Jess rolled over against a tree trunk and laughed till she nearly cried. Violet laughed until she really did cry. And here we come to the first unpleasant incident in the story of the children.
 
Violet could not stop crying, , and Jess soon made up her mind that she was really ill. She helped her carefully into the car, and heaped all the pine needles around and under her, making her the softest bed she could. Then she wet cloths in the cool water of the and laid them across her little sister's hot forehead.
 
"How glad I am that it is time for Henry to come!" she said to herself, holding Violet's slender brown hands in her cool ones.
 
Henry came at the usual time. He thought she had a cold, he said. And this seemed likely, for Violet began to cough gently while the rest ate a hasty supper.
 
"We don't want to let her go to a hospital if we can possibly help it," said Henry, more troubled than he cared to show. "If she goes there we'll have to give her name, and then Grandfather will find us surely."
 
Jess agreed, and together the two older children kept changing the cool cloths on Violet's aching head. But about ten o'clock that night Violet had a chill. She shivered and shook, and her teeth so that Jess could plainly hear them. Apparently nothing could warm the little girl, although she was completely packed in hay and pine needles.
 
"I'm going down to Dr. McAllister's," said Henry quietly. "I'm afraid Violet is very ill."
 
Nobody ever knew how fast he ran down the hill. Even in his famous race, Henry hardly touched his present speed. He was so frightened that he never stopped to notice how quickly the doctor seemed to understand what was wanted. He did not even notice that he did not have to tell the doctor which way to drive his car in order to reach ............