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said, "we better get back to school."
    "Do you have to go to school to be an engineer?" asked Hughie.
    "Of course you do. That engineer named Dick, well, once't he was in Room One, too," replied Rufus, thinking this out laboriously.
    "All right then, I'll go to school." Hughie finally gave in.
    And the two boys returned to Miss Andrews's room. They took their places just in time to be dismissed to go home to lunch.
    "Class, stand," the teacher was saying.

4. A Horse and Wagon

 
    What a Sunday that was! Mama thought she would never get them off to Sunday School. Usually this was accomplished simply enough. Of course they could all dress themselves and neatly blacken their high shoes. All Mama had to do was to look them over when they had finished to see that all was as neat as possible, maybe to jerk Rufus's red tie in place. Then the four Moffats might go into the front yard and play quietly, or better still, not play at all but read over their Sunday School lessons until the church bells rang.
    These Sunday mornings before Sunday School were very trying to Rufus. Rufus didn't have any lessons to learn in Sunday School because he was in the kindergarten class. Oh, occasionally a picture to color or a little verse from the Bible to learn, but usually nothing.
    This Sunday Rufus was having a harder time than ever waiting for Sunday School. He was all dressed up and he couldn't do anything. He would have liked to jump over and over the hitching post in front of the house. Mama did not allow this, though, because he might get grass stains on his white stockings. Or he would have liked to sail boats on the puddles left in the gutter from last night's rain. But Mama did not allow this, either, because he might fall in. This was not allowed and that was not allowed. Every Sunday the same old thing, waiting and waiting in his best sailor suit for the church bells.
    He wandered around to the backyard and gathered up some of the hard green grapes the rain and the wind had knocked off the arbor during the night. These he stuffed into his pocket in case he should see that Peter Frost. Who knows? He might have a chance to fire them at him.
    Then he joined the others on the front porch. Jane was trying to learn her "duty toward her neighbor." She had learned her "duty toward God," but somehow her "duty toward her neighbor" just would not stay in her head. Oh, dear, she would never get out of the catechism class until it did. Already she had been longer in that class than any other girl except Letitia Murdock, who was stuck with her "duty toward God."
    Rufus sat down with his back to the railing. Jane read her "duty toward her neighbor" out loud for the hundredth time. Then she tried to repeat it from memory. No use! Halfway through she stumbled and groped for the right words. Rufus supplied them for her and on she went.
    Rufus knew it perfectly and he was only in the kindergarten! He had heard Jane read it so often, it just stayed in his head without his even trying to learn it. Just like when Sylvie was learning her Latin. "Bonus, bona, bonum." Rufus always got it as soon as she did. Or Joe his history. "First-shot-Civil-War-shot-Fort-Sumter-four-o'clock-in-the-morning." Rufus could say it just like that.
    Suddenly Rufus became aware of a damp feeling spreading down his legs. He leaped up! Those green grapes! All squashed! Oh! His best suit ruined!
    That was the first time he had to have his suit changed and Mama wasn't any too pleased naturally, busy as she was with the pot roast and onions for the Sunday dinner.
    When Rufus was all dressed again in his second-best sailor suit and it was nearly time to start for Sunday School, he climbed onto the hitching post to wait for Janey and Sylvie to tie on their hats. He wasn't jumping over the hitching post. He was just sitting on it. Sitting there quietly, staring at his reflection in the puddle, wishing he had a magic belt around his waist covered with push buttons and chains. Push one