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When Jessie started out in the morning toschool, she began at the gate to say to herself,“Bridge, Railroad, Hill,” and when she startedhome again if she came alone, it was “Hill,Railroad, Bridge.” Home was at one end of thejourney; school at the other; Bridge, Railroadand Hill were the stations between, Jessie toldherself. If she were reasonably early, she wouldstop on the bridge and peep over at the runningwater. At the railroad she seldom stopped exceptto say good-morning to Ezra Limpett whosat outside his little box of a house on sunnydays, and inside it on rainy ones. He alwaysheld out the red flag to show the engineer, whenthe trains went whizzing by. Once, when thetrain was behind time, he had allowed Jessie tohold the fluttering flag, but that was on her wayhome, and he had said she must never cross tillthe train had passed. It was on account of Ezra[12]that Jessie was allowed to go to the Hill school,for he never failed to be at his post watching forher, and Jessie’s father knew she would be perfectlysafe in crossing the track because Ezrawas there. Of course, it was pleasanter to comefrom school than to go to it, not only becauseit was down hill and home was at the far end ofthe way, but because Effie Hinsdale could comenearly as far as the railroad with her, and a companionalways makes the distance seem shorter.Furthermore, there was time then to loiter, unlessone felt very hungry, though loitering meanta talk with Ezra about the engines and the trains.The engines were always spoken of asher andshe and were known by their numbers.

One day when Jessie was about to skip acrossthe railroad ties, she heard Ezra call out: “Betterwait a bit. 589 ain’t came along yet. She’slate to-day by ten minutes, and she’s due justabout now.”

Ezra nodded. “Hold her good and tight, anddon’t stand too near. She’ll go kitin’ to-day becauseshe’s behind time. Here, stand on this[13]stone and I’ll hold on to ye. That’s her whistlenow, so up with ye.”

Jessie scrambled upon the stone and grippedthe flag tightly, while Ezra took a firm hold uponher. The train was in sight in a second, andalmost before she could wink, it went flying by,scattering the dust and causing Jessie’s skirts toflutter in the breeze it made. It was very exciting,though it was something of a relief to seethe tail end of the train disappear down the track.

“Wouldn’t like to be in her way, would ye?”said Ezra, helping the little girl down.

“Indeed, I wouldn’t,” replied Jessie decidedly.“Do you like better to be inside your funny littlehouse, Ezra, or outside it?”

“That depends. Wet days I’m glad to be in;sorter cozy with a fire and my pipe going.’Tain’t very big, but it’s fair enough shelter, andit ain’t as if I hadn’t a roomier place to actuallylive in. I don’t have it so very bad, for thereain’t no night trains and I can get home andhave my night’s rest. I’m always in by nine, forthere ain’t no trains after six. If this was a bigtrunk line now, the trains would be chugging byall night.”

“Some of ’em mighty little. There’s hardtales about how they’re worked. Folks allwell?”

“Yes, thank you,” returned Jessie, picking upher books which she had dropped on the ground,and being reminded by Ezra’s remark that shemust not stay too long. “I reckon I’d better begoing now; mother might be worrying aboutme.”

Ezra nodded. “That’s right. Days gettin’kinder short, too. You won’t get home muchbefore sundown, come winter.”

“Won’t I?” Jessie had not thought of this.“I’ll always have to hurry then.”

“And you won’t find me settin’ out in the coldso over often,” said Ezra.

Ezra nodded and waved a stubby hand as if toa departing train, while Jessie ran across thetrack and took up the last part of her accustomedchant. Hill and Railroad were passed, so therewas only Bridge left. “Bridge, Bridge, Bridge,Bridge,” she whispered, keeping time to her[15]pace, and very soon Bridge, too, was left behindand she was within sight of the lane, the house,the barn, and, last, her mother’s anxious face atthe window.

“You’re late, dear,” said Mrs. Loomis, as thelittle girl came into the sitting-room.

“Yes,” returned Jessie. “589 was behind timeand Ezra wouldn’t let me come till she hadpassed. He let me hold the flag. I like thetrain to be late for it is exciting to have her goby so fast it almost takes your breath.”

“I don’t like it to be late,” replied Mrs. Loomis,“for I always feel anxious about you till you gethome. If Ezra were not there, and if I didn’tknow we could absolutely depend upon him towatch out for you, I don’t know what we shoulddo.”

“What do you think you would do?” askedJessie. “Would you or father have to come forme? Would you have to do that?”

“No, we couldn’t do that very well. Weshould have to send for you, probably, or elsekeep you from school altogether.”

“You’d like to grow up a silly little dunce?”[16]returned her mother, “and not know how to reador write? Would you like Max and Walter tocome home from school and be ashamed of theirlittle sister?”

“Oh, no,” Jessie was quite sure she would not.“But,” she said after a moment’s thought,“everybody doesn’t have to go to school. CousinLillian does not. I could have a governess.”

“That is what you would have to have, thoughit would be rather expensive. The boys have togo away to school and it costs a good deal forthem. But we’ll not bother over the questionwhile Ezra is on hand, for now it is perfectly safefor you to go to the Hill school.”

“Suppose something should happen to Ezra,”said Jessie, persistently following up the subject.“I should hate anything to happen to him, but ifit should, and another man were to take hisplace, then would I have to stop going to school?”

“I’m sure I don’t know, child. We won’t discussit now. It will be time enough when such athing happens.” And Mrs. Loomis went out,leaving Jessie standing by the window.

Jessie stood for a few minutes looking out andthen she, too, left the room. It was time to feed[17]the chickens and after that her father would becoming in. The corn had been harvested andstood stacked in the fields. Jessie thought thestacks looked very much like Indian wigwamsand she pictured to herself her terror if theyreally were such. However, the terror was notvery keen and was soon forgotten when shereached the spot where the fowls were jostlingone another and pecking eagerly at the corn Minervawas scattering on the ground. Minervawas the servant who had lived in the family eversince she was a little girl. She was very fond ofJessie and the two often had long talks about thechickens, the pigeons, the ducks and the turkeys.

“There’s two young turkeys missing,” saidMinerva as Jessie appeared. “After I getthrough here you can go ’long with me if youlike and look ’em up. You’re a right good handfor spying ’em out and they do beat everythingfor wandering.”

“I believe I know where they are,” Jessie toldher. “I shouldn’t wonder if they were over therewhere the mountain cherries grow. I’ve seenthem there lots of times.”

“Then that’s where we’ll look for ’em,” said[18]Minerva, scattering another handful of corn.“They’re big enough now not to care much aboutbeing with the old ones, and I have to keep aneye on ’em.”

“Have you fed the young chickens yet?”asked Jessie. “How fast they do eat, Minerva.Look at that great piggy rooster driving awaythat smaller one. I never did like that old yellowfellow, anyhow.”

“He is kind of greedy,” agreed Minerva. “No,I haven’t fed the young chickens. You can mixthe meal if you like. Don’t make it too wet likeyou did last time. Mrs. Speckle is a little droopy;she don’t take her food well at all. She’s such agood layer, I hope there’s nothing wrong withher.”

Jessie moved away to get the meal. Twomeasures of it she carefully piled up in thetin box which she found in the bin. This sheemptied into a pan and then she poured in a littlewater at a time, stirring it with a spoon at first,and then with her whole hand. She liked theoperation, and was so interested in squeezingthe wet meal that Minerva finally had to callher.

[19]“If you’re going to help me hunt thoseturkeys, you’d better hurry with that meal,” shesaid.

Jessie carried the tin pan to the enclosurewhere the young chickens were making a greatfuss, poking their heads between the slats andpeeping anxiously. But their peeping soonstopped as Jessie scattered little dabs of the foodon the ground. “Don’t gather the eggs till Icome,” she called to Minerva whom she sawsearching the nests.

“Obliged to,” returned Minerva, “or there’llbe no time to look up the turkeys. It gets darkso much sooner these days, you know.”

With one swoop of the wooden spoon Jessieswept the rest of the meal into a pile on theground, set down the pan and joined Minerva.“How many are there to-day?” she asked.

Jessie climbed upon a box and peered into acorner. “There are two more here,” she said.“Shall I take them?”

Jessie gently lifted one egg at a time and put[20]it in the basket Minerva carried. “That makesa dozen,” she said.

“And here’s another in this nest,” Minervawent on. “Old Posy is laying again, I expect.”

This was the last egg found, and the two leftthe hen-house. Minerva carried the basket intothe house and then she and Jessie started off towarda corner near the garden where the mountaincherries grew, and where many other wildthings made a close thicket, so that it was hardto penetrate the middle of the place. But Jessiehad been there many a time. It was one of herfavorite spots in summer. So now she pressedher body through the tangle of blackberry vines,pokeweed, sumach and laurel bushes to a lesscrowded part of the thicket. There was a dogwoodtree here, and upon its lower branches satthe two turkeys entirely satisfied with the roostthey had selected for the night.

Minerva followed the little girl. “Well, I declare!”she exclaimed. “It takes you to find’em. I believe you know every foot of thisplace.” She grabbed first one turkey, then another.They set up protesting cries which were[21]of no use whatever, for Minerva held them firmlyand carried them home triumphantly under eacharm. “It’s too cold for you to be out,” she said,addressing the turkeys. “I should think you’dhave better sense. I shouldn’t wonder if wewere to have frost to-night, and then wherewould your toes be?”

Minerva laughed. “You know more about itthan I do, it seems. Well, anyhow, they’d betterbe in where it’s safe and warm. Youngturkeys are delicate. Besides, some crittur mightcatch them.”

This was not to be denied as Jessie informedthe turkeys. “You’re much safer in the hen-house,you two silly things,” she said, “so youought to be much obliged to us for getting you.I’m sure I shouldn’t want to stay out in the coldand dark all night and have wild beasts get afterme. Minerva, that yellow house just this sidethe bridge must be taken, for there are peopleliving in it. I saw a cat sitting on the porch andthere was a little rocking-chair in the garden.Do you suppose it belonged to a little girl?”

[22]“It might. I should say it was very likely to.Little boys don’t usually care for rocking-chairs.”

“I hope it is a nice little girl and that I shallget acquainted with her,” returned Jessie. “EffieHinsdale is my nearest girl friend and neighborand she lives across the railroad track.Mother says twice a day is as often as she likesto think of my crossing the track, but whenEzra is there I shouldn’t think she’d mind.”

“I should think she would mind,” said Minerva.“Don’t you see enough of the girls atschool?”

“Ye-es,” said Jessie doubtfully, “I suppose Ido, but it’s only at recess, you know, for I alwayshurry home. I was late to-day because589 was behind time.”

“And that’s why you do. I suppose that’s afairly good reason. There’s your father andSam coming up the lane. I’ll put up the turkeysand you can open the gate for them.”

Jessie ran down the long avenue of treeswhich led up to the house, opened the gate andstood there while her father drove in.

[23]“Climb up, Puss,” he said, “and I’ll take youaround to the barn. Been a good girl to-day?Missed any lessons?”

“I didn’t know how to spell ‘conscientious,’”Jessie told him, “and two examples weren’t quiteright.”

“That’s not so bad. A good many peopledon’t know how to spell ‘conscientious,’” saidher father with a little laugh. “Any demerits?”

“One,” said Jessie a little shamefacedly andquickly changing the subject. “I held the flagfor 589,” she said. “Ezra let me.”

“The train was late, I know,” said Mr. Loomis.“I heard the whistle and hoped you were safeacross.”

“I wasn’t. Ezra wouldn’t let me go, thoughthere was plenty of time. He said suppose Ishould fall.”

Her father nodded. “He’s right. Nice oldchap, Ezra is. Well, here we are. Run in andtell Minerva that Sam has a basket of peachesin the wagon. They’re the last we’ll get thisyear.”

“From that tree over in the south field; it’s[24]a late variety, but they will be pretty good forpreserves.”

“I’m going to have one before that happens,”said Jessie, running into the kitchen and meetingSam just as he was bringing in the peaches.

“That’s so,” returned Minerva. “Well, Idon’t mind. Them white peaches makes finepreserves and we haven’t any too many peachesput up this year. Hungry, Sam?”

“You bet,” he replied. “Always am. Seemsto me I don’t more’n get one meal down thanI’m ready for another.”

“It ain’t quite as bad as that,” returnedMinerva. “I’ll have your supper ready in theshake of a sheep’s tail. By the time you’ve donemilking, anyway.”

Sam went out with the milk-buckets andJessie returned to the sitting-room. Her fatherwas at his desk, setting down some accounts;her mother was watering the plants which hadlately been brought in and put in the southwindows. Jessie stood looking out into thegathering twilight. Everything showed forth[25]duskily. Many of the trees were shedding theirleaves. Down by the brook a row of willowslooked fantastically like people with big headsand wild hair, Jessie thought. There wasone quite small, which seemed very human.Jessie regarded it interestedly for some time beforeshe turned and said, “Mother, what is thelittle tree down by the brook? the one with afunny head. What’s its name?”

“Pollard Willow,” replied her mother, glancingout of the window toward the place Jessiepointed out.

“Polly Willow,” whispered Jessie to herself.“Polly Willow! What a funny name.”

It was some time after this that Jessie madethe acquaintance of Polly Willow and it cameabout in a way that Jessie had not expected. Itwas due in the beginning to 589 which seemedof late to be getting into a habit of tardiness.One morning when Jessie was going to schoolshe missed her good friend Ezra at the door ofhis little house. A stranger was there, a gruffsort of somebody who cried out sharply: “Getover there quick, sissy. You ain’t no businesscrossing tracks when trains is coming.”

“There isn’t any train coming,” said Jessie.“I know all about the trains. There isn’t anyafter the 803 when 411 comes along. The nexttrain is at twelve and the one after at four.”

“Much you know,” replied the man. “I supposethe president of the road has sent you aspecial message saying he’s just changed the fall[30]schedule. I had my information from Ezra, butI reckon he don’t know. He told me to look outfor a train at 8:35.”

“Where is Ezra?” asked Jessie, still unbelieving,but by this time safely across the track.

“Took down with rheumatiz. Been botheringhim on and off for some time. Now he’s laid upin bed.”

“That don’t cure his aches and pains,” returnedthe man. “You’d better hustle along,sis. I’ve got to signal to this here train and Ican’t stand here all day talking to you.”

Jessie turned away indignantly. Ezra wouldhave asked if she didn’t want to hold the flagwhen the train went by, and he would not havetold her in that rude way to “go along.” Shedid not like this man at all. She wondered ifEzra would be ill all winter, and then suddenlyshe thought of what her mother had said; thatif anything happened to Ezra, her parents would[31]not feel that they could allow Jessie to take thewalk to the Hill School.

However, Ezra and the trains were forgottenwhen the little girl reached school, for therewere several interesting things to take up herthoughts that morning. In the first place, therewas a new scholar named Anna Sharp. She hadcome to live with her aunt in the neighborhoodand was going to attend the Hill School. NextEffie Hinsdale whispered that there were fourdear new kittens in the barn and that Jessiecould have one if she liked. Effie had beengiven a demerit for whispering, and that had sodisturbed Jessie that she missed her geographylesson and had to recite it after school, so altogetherthere was quite enough to put Ezra out ofher mind.

She remembered him before she reached therailroad, and then she determined that she wouldnot pay the least attention to the flagman whowas taking Ezra’s place, but that she would runacross the tracks without turning her head. Shehad not resisted the temptation to stop at Effie’slong enough to see the new kittens, and hadchosen the gray one, so that it was later than[32]usual when she reached the railroad. Of course589 must have gone by, for it was the expressand was due at four o’clock. There could notbe the least danger, thought Jessie. She sawthat the flagman had his back to her and wasstanding looking up the track. She made hasteto cross before he could see her, and, in herhurry, she tripped over the rail and her bookswere scattered in every direction. She pickedherself up and was about to gather her bookstogether when she heard the shrill whistle of anapproaching train, while from up the track shesaw the express rapidly advancing upon her.For a second she stood, numb with fright, andthen she leaped across the rails, her heart beatingfast. Another moment and the train wentflying by. She was safe if her books were not.She saw her geography go careering down theroad, her arithmetic lying some distance away,and her reader nowhere to be seen. But bookswere of no account just then. The child’s wholethought was to get home as quickly as possible.Without looking back once she sped along asfast as she could run, tears coursing down hercheeks and herself so shaken that when she[33]reached home she burst into the sitting-room andflung herself, sobbing, into her mother’s arms.

“589 was late and Ezra has the rheumatismand they have changed the time and I trippedon a rail and lost my books. There was a horridman there, too, and he called me ‘sis.’”

In this rather mixed-up speech her motherrecognized that something alarming had reallyhappened. “Never mind, dearie,” she said soothingly.“Wait till you can stop crying and thentell me all about it. Mother has you safe anyhow,hasn’t she?” She cuddled the little girlclosely in her lap and in a few minutes Jessiewas able to give a better account of what hadoccurred.

Mrs. Loomis looked very grave as she shookher head. “Thank heaven,” she said, “that youwere not so bewildered as to stand still. Wedidn’t know the winter schedule was in effect.Ezra would have sent us word if he had not beenill. Oh, my child!” She hugged Jessie suddenlyto her and after a moment continued, “Itis clear to me that it is not safe for you to go to[34]school by yourself. I will see if we can arrangeto have Sam take you, and I might be able tospare Minerva to bring you home. You couldgo as far as the Hinsdales and wait there forher. I should never have an easy moment ifyou were to go over that road alone. Try toforget this afternoon’s fright, dear child, and gotalk to Minerva. I see your father coming.”

Jessie went to Minerva and helped her feedthe chickens, almost forgetting in this task, thatshe had been so frightened. But after supperher father took her on his knee and questionedher about the matter.

“No more school for you yet a while, miss,”he said. “I can’t spare Sam just now for I am aman short, and it won’t hurt you to stay at homefor a week while we plan what is to be donenext. I pinned my faith on Ezra, but now thathe is out of the question we shall have to thinkof some other way of doing.”

So the next day Jessie stayed home fromschool, and not only the next, but for severaldays she was free to wander about the place anddo pretty much as she pleased. “She’s had abad fright,” said Mr. Loomis to his wife, “and[35]she is a nervous, imaginative little thing, so she’dbetter stay out-of-doors all she can till she getsover this. I don’t think we need let her botherwith lessons for a while yet.”

The first day Jessie amused herself near thehouse; the next she wandered as far as themountain cherry-tree; the third found her downby the brook, and there she saw Polly Willowwaiting for her.

“I’ve just got to have somebody to play with,”said Jessie, looking at Polly Willow’s funny head.“I think maybe you’ll do for a playmate, Polly.There’s one thing about it; you can’t run awayand you’ll always be here when I want you. Ofcourse you are pretty big, but so are the otherpeople in your family. You are much the smallestof any of them, so I don’t suppose you areany older than I. I think the first thing I domust be to get you a hat. I know where there isone I think I can have.”

She ran back to the house and up to the atticwhere she found an old straw hat. On her waydown she stopped at the door of her mother’sroom to poke in her head and say: “May Ihave this, mother?”

Her mother glanced at the hat. “Yes, youmay have it. Where are you playing?”

“Don’t get your feet wet. So long as youhave your rubbers on and are in the open air, Iam satisfied.”

With the hat in hand Jessie ran back to thebrook. The fallen leaves already dappled itssurface with red and yellow, but goldenrod andasters made a gay fringe along the sides. Sittingdown on a fallen log she proceeded to trimthe hat with flowers. A plume of goldenroddecorated one side; a bunch of asters the other,and when it was finished, Jessie stood on tiptoeand stuck the hat on Polly’s big head. “It’srather small for you,” she said as she gravelyregarded the effect, “but it makes you look morelike a little girl. Now, Polly, we’ll play. I’mgoing to live over there.” She waved her handin the direction of a large rock a short distanceaway. “I see Mrs. Mooky is coming to see me,so I shall have to go, but I’ll come over againafter a while. Good-bye, Polly.”

[37]A pretty fawn-colored cow was grazing nearthe big rock. This was the person Jessie calledMrs. Mooky. The little girl was not in the leastafraid of cows, of this one in particular, for shehad been accustomed to seeing Mrs. Mooky eversince she was a little calf which had fed fromher hand. So now she approached her boldly,saying, “Good-morning, Mrs. Mooky. I’m veryglad to see you. I am sorry I was not at homewhen you called just now, but I had to run over toPolly’s. She has a new hat that she wanted meto see.”

“I understand,” Jessie went on. “You’llcome again some other day. Very well. Good-bye.”And the cow moved on. “I’m going toask mother if I can’t have a tea-party here withPlaymate Polly. No, I won’t say with PlaymatePolly; she might laugh. A grown person couldn’texactly understand how nice it is to have a PlaymatePolly for a friend. I’ll bring one of thedolls, and—oh, dear, I wish the gray kittenwere big enough. Mother says I can’t have ittill it is quite able to do without its mother,[38]so I’ll have to wait, and I shall have to getCharity.”

Again she went back to the house, this timeto get the doll which had been bought at abazaar in the city by Jessie’s aunt who had suggestedthe old-fashioned name of Charity for her,since it was a charity bazaar at which she hadbeen bought, and because the doll was dressedin a very old-fashioned costume to represent aColonial Dame. She had now a long cloak tocover her brocade frock, a cloak that Jessie hadmade from a piece of gray flannel, and in consequenceof her having this warm garment, Jessiethought her better prepared for outdoor playthan the other dolls.

“May I have something for a party? I’mtaking Charity with me down to the brook,”she said to her mother whom she found in thekitchen.

[39]“It’s hot,” said Minerva, “and it isn’t doneyet, but I reckon it will taste good and it willsoon cool off in the open air. What will youhave it in? Oh, I know; one of those little jarsthe beef extract comes in. There are some inthe pantry on the shelf behind the door.”

Jessie set Charity on one of the kitchen chairs,and went to the pantry for the little jar whichMinerva filled with marmalade. She then cut acouple slices of bread, buttered them and putthem wrapped in a napkin, into a small eggbasket, adding the jar of preserves and an apple.“Be careful how you carry it,” she warned Jessie.“You don’t want to smear that sticky stuff allover the basket, and be sure to bring it and thejar back when you come. Now, don’t forget.”

“I’ll remember,” said Jessie. “Thank you,Minerva. I shall have a lovely time.”

“Here, come back,” cried Minerva, as Jessiewent out. “I didn’t put in any spoon. Wouldyou rather have a spoon or a knife?”

“A spoon, I think,” said Jessie, “for then if Iwant to eat any preserves I can do it easier, anda spoon will do to spread with, too.”

“One of the kitchen spoons, Minerva,” said[40]Mrs. Loomis. “We don’t want the silver lost atthe bottom of the brook.”

Jessie was quite satisfied with a kitchen spoonand went happily on her way, holding the littlebasket and her doll, carefully. “We’re goingover to Playmate Polly’s, Charity,” she informedher doll. “You don’t know her, but she is a verynice little girl, just the kind I like. She knowsall about the flowers and birds and such things,for she lives right down by the brook where theylive. She told me this morning that she is veryintimate with the birds especially, and now thatthey are going south for the winter she would bevery lonely if I didn’t play with her. I thinkshe will be glad to see you, too, for I am sure shedoesn’t have much company these days. Mrs.Mooky comes pretty often, but then she is not alittle girl like me, and that makes a great difference.”

Talking thus to her doll, she went on her wayand soon reached the brook. The marmaladewas still warm, but when it was spread on thebread which Jessie laid out on the red doily, itsoon cooled, and if Jessie was obliged to eat bothPolly’s and Charity’s share by proxy, she did not[41]have to eat for the birds, who were glad of thecrumbs, and who, when the last speck had vanished,came near enough to look inquiringly withtheir bright eyes as if to ask, Is that all?

“Now, Polly,” said Jessie, “I’m going to askyou to take care of Charity for me a little while.She isn’t very well this morning, and I want tosee the doctor about her. You know Dr. Bramble,of course.”

Polly, answering in Jessie’s voice, said sheknew Dr. Bramble very well indeed, that he wasa sharp sort of person, and often very disagreeable,but that he was a good doctor and hiscordial fine stuff.

So, leaving Charity in Polly’s care, Jessie wentto hunt up Dr. Bramble. She was obliged tostay quite a while for when she reached his houseshe found that Mrs. Bramble had a few belatedblackberries for her, and they were so temptingthat Jessie was obliged to gather them all.“They’ll do finely for pills for Charity,” she said,“or maybe I’d better make medicine of them; Ican mash them in the jar with the spoon and giveher a teaspoonful at a time!”

The berries were rather hard and could not be[42]easily crushed, but finally Jessie accomplished thework and Charity was given her first dose,though she cried a good deal over it and insistedthat she could not take it. “But you must, mydear,” said Jessie firmly, “or you will not getwell. Do you want to be ill and not have anymore of the nice marmalade Minerva is making?”

Charity deciding that she preferred marmaladeto illness, at last took the medicine by means ofJessie’s mouth, and was then put to bed andcovered up with leaves. Then Jessie amused herselfa long while with Playmate Polly. Theytalked about many things; the birds, the fishes,the flowers, the gray kitten and of Charity’s illness,and the time went so pleasantly that whenthe dinner horn sounded Jessie had no idea thatit was so late. She had enjoyed her morninghugely, and had come to have a great affectionfor her new friend, Playmate Polly.

Every morning after this Jessie went downto the brook to play with Playmate Polly.Charity soon recovered from her illness, Dr.Bramble’s medicine being the very thing for her,and she was able to enjoy her share of the scrapingsof marmalade which Jessie ate for her fromthe big preserving-kettle. Mrs. Mooky calledfrequently, and so did other persons. Jessiemade the acquaintance of a lively cricket whichlived under the big stone that she was accustomedto call her house, and she also had several conversationswith a fat toad which would come outand blink at her on mild days. Still it was PlaymatePolly whom Jessie liked the best. Shekept the knowledge of this queer friend a secretfrom everybody, and for that very reason probablyenjoyed her the more.

One afternoon, however, when she and Polly[46]had been having a particularly interesting talk,Jessie heard a laugh from the other side of thebrook, and looking up quickly she saw a littlegirl with very black hair and eyes, astride a fallenlog. “Hello!” said the little girl.

Jessie looked at her interestedly. “Hello!”she responded. She had never seen the little girlbefore;—not at church, nor on the road, nor anywhere,and she wondered who she could be.“Who are you?” she asked presently, “and howdid you get over there?”

“I’m Adele Pauline Falaise Hallett,” was thereply, “and I got here by walking.”

“Oh, I know now,” returned Jessie; “you’rethe new people. Did you come through thewoods or by the road?”

“Who was it that you’ve been talking to allthis time? I looked and listened for ever so longand I couldn’t see anybody.”

[47]“I was talking to my doll, Charity, part of thetime,” said Jessie, after a little hesitation. Shedid not want to tell her secrets to a stranger.

“Who is Polly Somebody? You kept sayingPolly this and Polly that. Hare you a parrotover there?”

“Dear me, no,” returned Jessie. “I was talkingto a make-believe friend of mine.”

“Yes, I can see her. She’s this tree.” Jessielaid her hand affectionately on Playmate Polly’srough bark.

Adele laughed. “That’s a mighty funny sortof friend. I’m coming over to you. Where canI get across?”

“There’s a log higher up,” Jessie told her. “Icross that way sometimes, and in summer whenthe brook is very low I can cross on the stones.”

“No, and so you’d better try the log. I’llshow you where it is.” She took the path on oneside the brook, Adele following that on the other,and pretty soon they came to a log thrown acrossthe stream.

[48]“It’s a little wobbly,” said Jessie, “so you’dbetter be careful.”

With some small shrieks and exclamationsAdele managed to cross the bridge without mishap.“Now show me where you play,” she saidsomewhat commandingly, Jessie thought, andtherefore she led the way silently to her favoritespot.

“Because it is her name,” rejoined Jessiestoutly, as she turned toward the big stone nearby. “This is my house,” she went on; “it iswhere Charity and I live. Charity is my doll.”

Adele, without answering, picked up Charityand looked her over. “She wears mighty queerclothes,” she remarked after a moment.

“That’s because she is a Colonial Dame,” returnedJessie in a superior tone.

“Oh,” said Adele, setting down Charity carefully.She did not know just what a ColonialDame was and did not want to show her ignorance.“What do you call her Charity for?” sheasked presently.

[49]“My Aunt Lucy bought her at a charitybazaar, and she said as Charity was one of theold-fashioned names, she thought it would suitan old-fashioned doll. I like it,” she added withdecision.

“I knew a girl once named Temperance,” remarkedAdele. “They used to call her Tempy.”

“In New Orleans where I lived before wecame here; before—” she hesitated, and thenadded in a low voice, “before I lost my mother.”

“Oh!” Jessie gazed at her with sympatheticeyes. She had never known, before this, anylittle girl who had not a mother. “Was it verylong ago?” she asked softly.

“A little over a year,” Adele told her. “Ihave six dolls,” she went on, changing the subject.“How many have you?”

“Five, but I like Charity the best. She is thebiggest and prettiest, too. I have one a littlesmaller named Lucy, and a little China boy-dollI like very much; he is about so high.” Shemeasured a height of four inches or so. “Ibring him down here because he is so little thatI can put him most anywhere.”

“Peter Pan,” returned Jessie. “Then I havea baby in long clothes and a German doll myuncle brought me when he came from Europe.”

It seemed a very interesting family to Adelewho said regretfully, “My dolls are so muchalike I don’t care much more for one than another.Some are newer than others; that’s all.Will you show me all your dolls some day?”

“Why, certainly,” returned Jessie warmly,adding, “I’m awfully glad you live near.There’s no one this side the bridge at all.Effie Hinsdale is the nearest, but she lives acrossthe railroad track.”

“I used to do it every day; that was beforeEzra had rheumatism. I don’t go to school now.Do you go to the Hill school?” Jessie asked,then added, “Oh, no, of course you don’t, if youcan’t cross the railroad track.”

“No, I don’t go anywhere,” returned Adele.“I am going to have a governess next week.”

“Oh, I don’t know. I like Miss Eloise. She[51]is a friend of my aunt’s and she is very nice andkind, at least she is now.”

“I thought governesses were always cross,”said Jessie as if it were a well-known fact.

“Maybe she will be when she gets to be agoverness,” Adele remarked. “I hope she willnot. I believe I’d rather not have her anyway.I hate lessons.”

“So do I,” returned Jessie delightedly. “I’mso glad you feel that way. I was so pleasedwhen I knew I could stay at home for a while.”

“Oh, I am sure I don’t know. I suppose wehave to have educations, but it is very disagreeable.I don’t see why educations can’t come liketeeth, when you’re ready for them, or an easierway still would be to wake up some morning andfind you could do every example in the arithmetic,and another morning you could speak French,and another you would know all the rivers andcapitals and mountains and things. Wouldn’tthat be fine?”

[52]“Oh, do you?” Jessie looked at her half incredulously.“I didn’t know any little girlscould do that unless they were real French childrenwho couldn’t speak English. How does ithappen?”

“My grandmother was French. I am namedafter her,” Adele told her, “and my motherspoke French as well as English. I alwayshad a French nurse, too, so I learned Frenchat the same time I did English.”

Jessie looked at her admiringly, then shesighed. “Well, I don’t know a word of Frenchor anything except ‘Guten Tag.’ We had aGerman to work for us once and he taught methat much.”

“Don’t let’s talk about such stupid things,” saidAdele suddenly. “What is behind those branchespiled up against that place in the bank here?”

Jessie looked at her quickly. It seemed as ifAdele’s quick eyes and ears would discover allher secrets. “You won’t tell?” she asked aftera minute’s pause. “Cross your heart you won’t?It’s a secret, you see. Playmate Polly is asecret, too. Not even mother or Minerva knowabout her.”

Jessie led the way to the spot where the bankdropped three or four feet. She carefully removedthe branches, saying mysteriously: “Itis a cave, a grotto.”

Adele knelt down and peeped in to see wherethe bank, shelving in, made quite a little hollow.The floor of the small grotto was paved withpebbles upon which lay rugs of green moss. Apiece of looking-glass set in the earth served fora tiny lake. The sides of the grotto were hungwith another kind of moss. At one end twosmall candlesticks, bearing red candles, were setup and in a chair between them was the littlechina doll.

“This is where Peter Pan lives,” said Jessie.“I’ll light the candles and you can see the lakebetter. That pile of moss over there is PeterPan’s bed. I haven’t any table for him yet. Iam hunting for a nice little square block of wood,or a smooth round stone would do. I haven’t[54]really finished the grotto yet Don’t you thinkit is right pretty?”

“It is perfectly beautiful,” said Adele enthusiastically.“I don’t see how you did it.Oh, won’t you let me come and play with yousometimes?”

Jessie felt that she was very generous to besharing her secrets with a stranger, but whenshe remembered that Adele was motherless shefelt that anything she could do to give herpleasure would be a small thing, so she respondedcordially, “Why, of course.”

“I haven’t any little doll like Peter Pan,”Adele went on, “but maybe a paper doll woulddo till I could get the right kind.”

“A paper doll would do very well and youcould call her Wendy,” said Jessie with satisfaction.

“Oh, don’t you know Peter Pan? I thoughtevery one did,” said Jessie in surprise.

“All right, I will. I know all about him.When I went to see Aunt Lucy last winter shetook me to see Peter Pan, and oh, it was the[55]loveliest thing you can imagine. Sit down hereand I will tell you.” Adele did as she was toldand Jessie launched forth into her story, Adelelistening attentively.

But before the story was finished a shrillwhistle sounded from the house. “Oh, dear,”said Jessie jumping up, “I must go. That isfor me.”

“Mother has a little whistle that she blowswhenever she wants me to come home.”

“Can’t you just stay long enough to finish thestory?” said Adele coaxingly. “Please do.”

“Oh, no, I couldn’t. There is a lot more, andmother doesn’t like me to stay out too late.”

“I think you are real mean,” cried Adele.“You just get into the most interesting partand then you stop. I don’t like you one bit.I’m just going home and you can talk to yourold dumb Polly after this.” She stalked away[56]indignantly while Jessie slowly made her waytoward the house, looking back every littlewhile over her shoulder. She knew she wasdoing right, but she did wish Adele had notgone off in a huff. After all, perhaps PlaymatePolly was more satisfactory, for she never quarreledwith her. This thought made her turnand run back a few steps to call out: “Good-night,Polly.”

Just then she heard a scream and some onecrying out: “Jessie, Jessie!” in tones of distress.For only a second Jessie hesitated andthen she rushed to the spot from which the voicecame to find Adele splashing about in the brook.

“I slipped off the log,” she cried. “I’m allwet and drownded and there is a cow coming!”

Fortunately the brook was not very deep, particularlyat this point. Jessie laid down herdolls, and went to the bank near the log, reachingout her hands and calling to Adele, “Comeup here.”

Adele cast a frightened look over her shoulderat Mrs. Mooky, who was taking an evening drinkfrom the stream. “She won’t hurt you, willyou, Mrs. Mooky?” said Jessie encouragingly.

[57]The cow lifted her head and looked fixedly atJessie, moving a few steps nearer.

“Oh, she’s coming! She’s coming!” criedAdele frantically trying to scramble up the bank.

“No, she isn’t,” Jessie assured her. “Giveme your hand. There now, you are safe, butyou are awfully wet. Come right home withme and get some dry clothes.”

“It was all that horrid cow,” said Adele.“She came splashing down into the water andscared me so my foot slipped and down I went.”

Jessie smiled. She could not imagine any onebeing afraid of Mrs. Mooky, but she saw thatAdele was really frightened so she only repeated:“You’d better come home with me.”

“She’ll say she’s very sorry it happened, andshe’ll have Minerva take you home unless Samis there with the carriage. Father went to townto-day and maybe Sam hasn’t gone to meet himyet. Come right along; you’ll get cold.”

[58]Thus admonished, Adele allowed herself to beled up to the house. Mrs. Loomis met the twolittle girls at the porch steps. “This is AdeleHallett,” said Jessie. “She lives in the yellowhouse, and she slipped off the log into the brookjust now. Mrs. Mooky frightened her.”

“That was very unkind of Mrs. Mooky,” saidMrs. Loomis smiling down at Adele. “Come in,dear. You must be chilled to the bone in thosewet clothes. There is a good fire in the sitting-room.I always like to have it bright and cheeryfor Jessie’s father when he comes in. Take yourfriend in there, Jessie, and I will go up for somedry clothes.”

The open wood-fire was sending out a comfortingheat as Adele shiveringly came up to it.“You’d better take off your shoes and stockingsfirst; they are the wettest,” Jessie told her.“Your feet must be very cold. I’ll take off oneshoe and you do the other.”

Adele sat down meekly on the big fur rug,while Jessie helped her to take off her wet footgear. “There,” said Jessie, “stick out your feetand get them good and hot while I unbuttonyour frock.” Adele obeyed without a word.

[59]Presently Mrs. Loomis returned with the drythings and bade Jessie take the wet ones toMinerva to dry. “We’ll send them home toyou,” she told Adele as she helped her intoJessie’s garments. They were a little large forher, but they did very well.

Jessie laughed when she came back. “It isanother me, isn’t it, mother?” she said. “Onlythat me isn’t as big as this me, and it has blackhair instead of light brown, and black eyes insteadof blue. Do you feel as if your name wereJessie, and are you real warm, Adele?”

“I’m going to mix something good and hotfor her to drink,” said Mrs. Loomis, “and thenSam can take her home. Miss Hallett will beanxious about her, and Sam is about ready to goto the station to meet your father.”

As soon as Mrs. Loomis had left the roomAdele lifted her eyes, and Jessie saw that theywere full of tears. “I said I didn’t like you onebit,” she burst out, “but I do, I do. I love you.I love you dearly.”

“Oh!—why——” Jessie began. She felt embarrassed[60]and was glad of her mother’s reappearance.Mrs. Loomis held a glass in her hand.“Drink this, dear,” she said to Adele. “Youwill find that it tastes very good and it will keepyou from taking cold.” Adele silently obeyed,and found it a spicy-sweet draught which sent awarm glow through her.

Jessie pulled her mother’s head down to herlevel and whispered something to her. Mrs.Loomis nodded understandingly and when Adeleset down the glass she lifted the child’s face andkissed her gently on the cheek. “You must comeagain,” she said.

“To be sure I will,” replied Mrs. Loomis. “Iam going to call on your aunt, dear,” she said toAdele, “and I hope we shall all be good friendsand neighbors.”

Adele looked at her for a moment and then shecaught her hand and laid her own cheek againstit. “You are lovely,” she said, “and Jessie is justlike you. I want her to be my friend forever.”

The next day there was no sign of Adele,though from time to time Jessie looked up fromher play to see if her new friend by chance mightbe coming along the path on the other side of thebrook. Sam had delivered the little girl’s belongingsat the yellow house, and had been toldthat none of the family were up. Later Jessie’sclothes were returned with a note of thanks. SoPlaymate Polly had it all her own way that day,and Peter Pan was provided with more mosshangings as well as a new ornament in the shapeof a bright pink pebble for his grotto. Jessiehad told her mother all that she had learnedabout Adele and had received some informationin return. Miss Betty Hallett, Adele’s aunt, wasa delicate woman, and Adele herself was notstrong, so the doctor had declared they wouldboth be better in the country, and as Mr. Halletthad removed his business from the south to themiddle states he had discovered in the yellow[64]house by the brook, just the place which hethought would suit his sister and his little daughter.It was not so far from the city where he hadhis office but that he could come home frequentlyto spend Sunday, and it was in a healthful regionas well as a very attractive one.

“So now,” Mrs. Loomis told Jessie, “I mustcall on Miss Hallett at once, for we are her nearestneighbors and I am sure she must be lonely.”

They set off, therefore, one afternoon, in thelittle phaeton which Mrs. Loomis always droveherself, and soon they drew up before the yellowhouse and were ushered into a room filled withstately old furniture and sombre portraits. “Idon’t think it is as cozy as our house,” whisperedJessie.

“Hush, dear,” returned Mrs. Loomis. “It isfar handsomer, and probably after a while it willlook more cheerful. You see everything is notsettled.”

At this moment Miss Hallett entered and Jessieshrank back against her mother, surprise andsomething like horror in her eyes, for she saw atiny little woman with deep dark eyes, a mournfulmouth and rather a large head set down between[65]her shoulders. Jessie had never come incontact with a hunchback before and she grippedher mother’s hand hard. Mrs. Loomis gave herfingers a gentle pressure before she rose to meetMiss Hallett whose sudden smile lighted up hersallow face. “I hope we are not coming to youbefore you are ready to receive a call,” said Mrs.Loomis. “We are your nearest neighbors, MissHallett, and I hope you will believe that we wantto be true ones.”

“I am so glad to see you,” returned Miss Hallett.“This dull day has given me an attack ofthe blues, and you could not have chosen a bettertime for coming. I have been wanting an opportunityto thank you for your kindness to Adele,but we have been so busy, it seemed impossiblefor me to find time to go anywhere. Adele hastalked of nothing else but you and your little girlsince her rather awkward tumble. I am afraidshe gave you a great deal of trouble.”

“Not a bit of it,” returned Mrs. Loomis. “Ionly hope she didn’t take cold.”

“No, she did not, thanks to your promptmeasures. She is an impulsive, headstrong littlecreature, and I am at loss sometimes just how[66]to manage her. Fortunately my friend MissLaurent has consented to come to us, and withher coöperation I hope we shall do great thingsfor Adele. I wanted to have the house all inorder before Miss Laurent should come, and ithas been such a task.”

Jessie wished very much that Miss Hallettwould send for Adele instead of talking abouther, and presently was relieved when a tallmulatto woman was summoned. “Go tell MissAdele that she is to come in, Angeline,” saidMiss Hallett. “Or,” she turned to Mrs. Loomis,“perhaps your little girl would rather go out toAdele. She is in the summer-house. My brotherhas had it enclosed with glass, and Adele ratherlikes to play there. Would you rather go toAdele?” she asked Jessie.

There was no doubt in Jessie’s mind that shewould very much prefer this, and in another momentshe was following Angeline through thehall to a side door and down a broad walk to thesummer-house.

“Young lady to see you, honey baby,” saidAngeline putting her head in the door.

Adele, who was busy over something in one[67]corner, turned suddenly and caught sight ofJessie standing on the sill. She darted forward,and flung her arms around her visitor, kissingher first on one cheek and then on the other.“I am so glad you have come,” she cried. “Ithought you never would. You may go, Angeline.”She turned to the tall maid who drewdown her mouth and disappeared leaving thelittle girls alone.

“I thought of course you would come overyesterday, to the play place, you know,” returnedJessie.

Adele dropped her eyes and appeared to belooking attentively at her toes. “I couldn’t,”she said presently.

“Aunt Betty. She’s horrid like that sometimesand is just as mean as she can be.”

“Is that because she isn’t—she isn’t just likeother people?” asked Jessie hesitatingly. Shecould readily understand that a person wholooked like Miss Hallett might have reason tobe disagreeable.

[68]Adele looked at her fixedly for a moment,then to Jessie’s great discomfiture she burst intotears. “She isn’t! She isn’t! She isn’t!” sherepeated. “She is just like other people and sheis dear and good and lovely. You shan’t say sheis not.”

Jessie was bewildered. “I didn’t mean—Ididn’t mean——” she began helplessly.

“It was I who was horrid,” Adele went on.“It was all my doing. I got mad and screamedand fought Angeline and wouldn’t eat my supperbecause I couldn’t have coffee and lots, lots,lots of sugar in it, and so Aunt Betty said Ishouldn’t go to see you till she said I might.She isn’t horrid at all, and you shan’t say she is.She is perfectly beautiful.”

“It wasn’tI who said she was horrid, youknow,” said Jessie with an emphasis on theI.

“Well, I don’t care. You thought so.”Adele wiped her eyes and stood thoughtfullypicking off the dead leaves from a potted geraniumon a shelf near by. Jessie was silent.She hardly knew whether to go or stay.

Presently Adele turned around with thesweetest of smiles. “Let’s play,” she said.[69]“I’ll show you all my dolls. Why didn’t youbring Charity or Peter Pan with you?”

“I will next time,” said Jessie, relieved at theturn of affairs, but wondering what kind of girlAdele really was.

“Come,” cried Adele, grasping Jessie’s hand.“The dolls are all up in the playroom. I wasmaking medicine for them just now. They haveague, every blessed one of them, and they areshaking their heads off, at least one of them is,”she added with a laugh. “I’ll show you whichone it is.” She pulled Jessie along the boardwalkand up-stairs to a pleasant upper roomwhere six dolls were abed, most of them staringsmilingly at the ceiling, though two of them hadtheir eyes shut. Adele picked up one of themand showed a very wobbly head which seemedin danger of soon departing from its body.“This is the shakiest one,” she said, “and she’llhave to have a double dose of medicine. Indeed,I don’t know but that she will have to goto a hospital. That is my newest one.” Shepointed to a very fresh and smiling flaxen-hairedbeauty.

“Oh, don’t you?” This seemed as incredibleto Jessie as if she had been told that a family ofchildren had been left unnamed. “I don’t seehow you get along if you don’t name them,” shesaid.

“Oh, I scarcely ever play with more than oneat a time, and then I can always call that onedolly or honey or something,” was the reply.

“I should think you would have to namethem,” persisted Jessie. “When you are talkingabout them what do you say?”

“I hardly ever do talk about them. When Ido it is to Aunt Betty, and then I say the newdoll, or the doll with the brown hair, or somethingof that kind. Don’t let’s play with dolls.I bet you can’t catch me before I get downstairs.”And while Jessie was recovering herselfAdele was off and away down the stairs at thefoot of which she stood laughing as Jessie descendedmore slowly. “I think I shall askAngeline for some cakes,” she said. “Comealong into the kitchen. I suppose that cross oldRoxy wouldn’t give us any, but I can coax Angeline[71]into anything. Angeline! Angeline!” shecalled imperiously, “come here.”

Angeline appeared at the entry door. “I wantsome cakes,” said Adele, “some for Jessie andme. We’re hungry.”

“Dey ain’ no mo’ cakes, honey,” said Angeline.“Yo done eat ’em all up.”

“Oh, bother! You go along and makesome, and be quick about it, too,” orderedAdele.

“Law, honey chile, how long yuh spec’ it tekto mek up de fiah an’ bake cake? Yuh foolish,chile. I done got some sweet ertaters in deashes,” she hastened to say as she saw Adele’sface puckering up for a cry. “I tell yuh what,honey; I git yuh two nice bowls o’ milk an’ nicesweet ertaters an’ yuh kin tek ’em out in desummah-house an’ eat ’em.”

“I suppose that will have to do,” said Adelewith resignation. “Do you like sweet potatoesand milk?” she asked Jessie.

“I never ate any. At least, of course I have[72]eaten sweet potatoes often enough and I drinkmilk, but I never ate them together.”

“They are mighty good together,” Adeleassured her. “Bring ’em along, Angeline, to thesummer-house, and don’t you be forever about iteither.” And Adele stalked off with Jessie inher wake.

“She’s very good-natured, isn’t she?” remarkedJessie when they had reached the summer-house.

“You wouldn’t? I don’t see why. I alwaystalk as I please to Angeline. She nursed mymother and she nursed me, and she doesn’t carewhat I say to her. Besides, I am her mistress.”Adele held her head high, and Jessie looked ather admiringly.

“Well,” she said, “I suppose that must makea difference; Minerva was never nurse to mymother.”

The two bowls of milk and warm sweet potatoessoon appeared and though Jessie did notcare very much for the combination, she ate partof her share fearing she might seem rude if she[73]did not. She was glad, however, that she didnot have to finish, and that a message from hermother obliged her to return to the house.

“We must go now, dear,” said Mrs. Loomis.“We have made a long call.” She smiled atAdele as the two little girls came in.

“Oh, no, you mustn’t go,” spoke up Adele.“At least, you might let Jessie stay. Won’t you,please?”

“Not to-day,” said Mrs. Loomis gently.“Your aunt has been kind enough to promise thatwe may have you to-morrow to spend the day, so Ithink Jessie and I will have to say good-bye now.”

“Oh, am I going for the whole day?” exclaimedAdele delightedly, catching her aunt’shand and pressing her cheek against it as washer way of doing. “Is Angeline going to takeme, or can I go alone? I know the way.”

“You may go over alone,” Miss Betty told her.“But I will send Angeline for you.”

Remembering Adele’s outburst earlier in theafternoon, Jessie steeled herself to move closerto Miss Hallett and to say, “I’m glad you willlet Adele come. I haven’t any little girls toplay with, you see.”

[74]“Oh, yes, you have,” put in Adele with mischiefin her eyes; “you have Playmate Polly,you know.”

Mrs. Loomis looked down with a puzzled expression.“Who in the world is PlaymatePolly?” she asked. “I never heard of her.”

“She is a horrid creature,” said Adele laughing.“She has scraggy hair, and a dreadful roughskin, but Jessie is very fond of her, and I don’tlike her to be.”

Jessie hung her head. She was afraid of beinglaughed at. “She’s only a tree,” she said ina low voice.

Miss Betty smiled, but Mrs. Loomis put herarm around her little daughter and said: “ThenI am sure she is a very harmless acquaintance,who will set my little girl no bad examples, andI am sure she is much better than no one.”

Jessie looked up with a grateful smile. Motheralways understood. She would tell her all aboutPolly now that it was a secret no longer. Yetshe felt hurt and offended to think that Adelehad not kept faith with her, though, as she reflected,it was not about Polly that her promisewas made, but about Peter Pan and his grotto.[75]Adele knew, however, that Jessie wanted bothkept a secret, and so the little visitor threw herhostess a reproachful look which Adele understoodand eagerly responded to by saying, “Ididn’t tell about the other thing, Jessie. IndeedI didn’t. Now that you have me, Ididn’t suppose you would care any more aboutPolly.”

Mrs. Loomis was too considerate to ask about“the other thing,” but she was told all about PlaymatePolly on the way home, and agreed withJessie that it was very well to have such anamiable friend when there was danger of a suddenflare up from Adele.

“The poor child has no mother; we must bevery patient with her,” Mrs. Loomis said. “Shehas always been a delicate little thing, and inconsequence is greatly spoiled. Her aunt is veryfrail, too, and says she cannot stand scenes. Ihope Miss Laurent will have wisdom enough toknow how to manage such a wilful little girl.Miss Hallett tells me that her friend is a verysuperior woman and that she hopes a great dealfrom her.” She was silent for a few minuteswhile Barney carried them several rods along[76]the road. Then she said, “What do you thinkof having lessons with Adele, daughter?”

“Oh! Why, I don’t know. I suppose if Ihave to have lessons at all that it would be nicerthan anything. Am I to do it, mother?”

“I think so. I shall have to speak to yourfather first, but Miss Hallett is very eager tohave such an arrangement and brought up thesubject herself, so I do not see but that we shallprofit by it. She is very anxious that Adeleshould have a companion, for she has been toomuch with older persons, and it would certainlysettle our difficulty of lessons for you.”

This gave Jessie a great deal to think aboutall that evening, and the last question she askedthat night was, “Will you promise to tell mefirst thing in the morning, mother?”

As Mrs. Loomis had said, Miss Hallett’s propositionsettled the question of lessons for Jessie,and so when Adele appeared the next morning,bright and early, Jessie had the great piece ofnews to tell her, and Adele responded in herusual tempestuous way by giving Jessie a tremendoushug, and by rushing to Mrs. Loomis toembrace her, too. “It will be perfectly lovely,”she cried. “You will come to my house everymorning and we’ll have lessons in the playroom;it will have to be a workroom then, and in theafternoon we can play by the brook.”

“We’ll not be able to all winter,” said Jessie,“for it will be too cold.”

“Of course I don’t mean that we can neverplay out-of-doors,” returned Jessie, “but it willbe too damp down by the brook most of thetime, and it will often be too snowy.”

“It is nice,” said Jessie. “I like to slide onthe ice, too, even when it isn’t snowy. We canoften go out on the little pond when the ice isthick. It is rather fun to be out in the cold atany time, for you feel so good when you come in.”

“I shall get Miss Eloise to let me walk homewith you sometimes,” said Adele, “because youwill have to come by yourself in the morning,and it wouldn’t be fair for you to walk both waysalone. Does the brook freeze over?”

“Sometimes,” Jessie told her, “and then wecan cross on the ice. I’d rather go that way always,for it is shorter than to go around by theroad, but I suppose I can’t in very bad weather.”

“I’ll have to cover it up with brush and it willbe there in the spring. Why did you tell mysecret, Adele?”

“Because I don’t like Polly. I didn’t tell[81]about the grotto, did I? and I think Polly is ugly.I wish you didn’t like her.”

“Anyhow, she never tells things I don’t wanther to,” said Jessie severely.

Adele buried her head in the sofa cushion ofthe lounge upon which she was sitting, and beganto sob, “I don’t care, I don’t care. She is nothingbut an ugly wicked old tree, and youshalllove me best, because I love you best. I don’tpick out queer bad old creatures like that to lovemore than you. I believe she is nothing but anold witch.”

For a moment Jessie felt quite remorseful, butthen a feeling of not wanting to be forced intolikes and dislikes took possession of her, and sherelentlessly said: “I shall not like you best ifyou tell my secrets.”

“I won’t tell any more. ’Deed and ’deed Iwon’t,” said Adele, lifting a tear-stained face.“Please love me best, Jessie.” She caught Jessie’shands and put them around her own necklooking at her so pleadingly that Jessie’s heartmelted and she answered; “All right, I’ll likeyou best.”

But the words were scarcely out of her mouth[82]before they were stopped with kisses, and Adelelooked as happy as she had looked miserable amoment before. “Now come,” she said, “let’sgo to the grotto. I brought paper dolls; one isWendy and the other is Tinker Bell. Now youcan finish the story, and we’ll have a lovely time.”

They started off very happily, Mrs. Loomiswatching them from the window. “I don’t knowhow it is going to turn out,” she said to herself,“but I hope Jessie will learn self-control by seeinghow it looks to fly into such tantrums asAdele’s. I think the sight of them will do hermore good than any amount of precept.”

Having given her word that Polly should nomore have first place, Jessie was ready to be veryamiably disposed toward Adele, yet from nineo’clock in the morning till six in the evening is along stretch, and it was rather too much to expectthat two excitable little girls could spend allthat time in one another’s company without disagreements.Once during the day Jessie gatheredup her dolls and started for home, leaving Adeledisconsolately sitting on a stone, but Adele wasthe first to ask to make up, and begged so hardto be taken back into favor that Jessie yielded.[83]Once, too, Adele in a sudden rage threatened todemolish the grotto, because Jessie insisted uponhaving her way with Wendy.

“I don’t care. I know all about her betterthan you. I saw the play and you didn’t,” thisconclusively.

Adele flung Wendy on the ground and addedinsult to injury by threatening to chop down PlaymatePolly some night. “And when you get upin the morning, she will be gone forever,” saidAdele.

This was too much for Jessie. “You won’tdare to do such a thing,” she cried. “I shall tellmy father never to let you step your foot on theplace again. You can just take your old paperdolls and go home.”

Adele arose speechless with rage. She deliberatelytore Tinker Bell into bits and threw thepieces at Jessie, then snatching up Wendy sheturned toward home.

At once Jessie seemed to hear her mother say:“We must be patient with her; she has nomother.” And she was filled with remorse.“Come back, come back,” she cried. “I didn’t[84]mean it at all. You can have Wendy do anythingyou like. And it doesn’t matter aboutTinker Bell. No one ever sees her anyway, forshe’s just a little twinkling light. One of thecandles will do for her. I’m sorry; I really am,Adele.” So peace was made, and the rest of theday passed happily enough.

When they went up to the house for dinnerSam met them. “I’ve got a new pet for you,”he said to Jessie. “Come down to the barnafter dinner and I’ll show you.”

But Sam laughed and walked away, so Jessieknew it was no use to question further, for Samnever would be coaxed to tell. She was in greathaste to finish her dinner, but Adele was hungryand seemed to enjoy everything so much thatJessie felt that it would not be polite to hurryher. She did not hesitate, however, to urgeAdele to make haste as soon as her last mouthfulof dessert was swallowed. “Do come rightaway,” she said. “I must see what Sam has.Aren’t you wild to know? I am.”

[85]“No, I am sure he was in earnest. I knowSam well enough for that. He often brings methings, and I have an idea this is somethingalive.”

The two children were not long in reachingthe barn, the big door of which was open. Itwas a big, roomy place smelling of hay. Threehorses stood in their stalls, and as the little girlsentered, a brown hen flew cackling from one ofthe empty mangers. “I’ll have Sam get thategg for us,” remarked Jessie. “I wonder wherehe is. Sam! Sam!” she called.

A voice answered from the harness room andJessie led the way thither. Sam was sitting ona box mending harness. “Here we are,” saidJessie. “Show us what you said you had.”

“See if you can find it,” said Sam, and Jessieimmediately set to work to search. She knewall the corners and crannies, if Adele did not.It was quite like a game, and rather an entertainingone. Here they came upon a setting henwho had stolen a nest in the hay; there a squeakingmouse would scuttle across the timbers, scaringboth girls into shrieking. At last they madetheir discovery, for, as they were searching in[86]front of Barney’s stall, directly above their headssomething suddenly cried out: “Caw!”

The children looked up to see a black crowlooking down at them from a perch in the corner.“Oh, I believe that is it,” said Jessie. “Sam!Sam! is it a crow?”

Sam came forward and lifted down the birdwhich was tethered by a long cord. “Yes,” hesaid. “He is a young one that got a little hurtsomehow. I found him in the cornfield. He’lllearn to talk after a bit, and I’ve clipped hiswings so he can’t fly far. He will get as tameas a dog after a while.”

Jessie put a finger on the shining black headof the crow. “Isn’t he funny?” she said. “Itwill be perfectly lovely to have a pet who cantalk, and I think you are very good, Sam, to bringhim to me. Will he say real words, like people?”

“He won’t be quite as glib as a parrot, maybe,but he will say a number of words, and it won’tbe long before he will be following you everywhere.”

“I don’t think he is very pretty,” remarkedAdele, who was standing at one side and did notseem to care about touching the bird.

[87]“Oh, I think he is,” returned Jessie. “He isso jetty black, and has such a knowing look. Ilike him very much. I don’t suppose I can keephim in the house, Sam.”

“Better not, or he’ll be playing havoc withthings. He’ll soon learn to stay around with thechickens, and when you want to have him nearyou can tether him. I knew one once that wasas good as a watch-dog. Let any one comearound day or night and he’d set up his Caw!Caw! I’ll take him out-of-doors for you now.He can’t get away very far, but I’d better tetherhim. Where’ll you have him?”

The two little girls led the way and Sam tetheredthe bird by a long cord. He hopped aroundcontentedly, and soon became tame enough tocome quite close to the girls and peck at theirfeet. “Polly can take care of him, you see,”said Jessie. “I think she rather likes birds, atleast I’ve seen her holding them quite often.”

Jessie paid no attention to this remark but[88]continued her line of thought. “I think shemisses my playing with her as much as I used to,so I’ll tell her she can play with the crow all shelikes. I wonder what we’d better call him.He’s as shiny and black as coal; you know thekind that has all sorts of colors in it. He looksthat way when he turns his head.”

“I don’t think so either,” Jessie agreed with her.“I’ll have to think of something else.” Theyturned over in their minds all the things thatsuggested blackness or darkness, from ink tothunder-clouds, finally hitting upon Ebony,which was a happy thought of Jessie’s who rememberedan ebony chest in her Aunt Lucy’shouse. “We can call him Ebon for short,” shesaid. “It is a nice, easy name.”

The crow responded by putting his head toone side and remarking “Caw!” in a way whichmade both girls laugh.

“I am sure Effie Hinsdale would give you oneof the kittens,” said Jessie. “I’ll ask mother ifwe can go there Saturday. I know she will beglad—Effie I mean—to get a good home for anotherkitten. There is a gray something likemine and two black ones.”

“I’d rather have black, I think, and I’ll call itVelvet,” said Adele swift in decision.

“I’ve named mine Cloudy,” Jessie told her.“We can’t have them yet, you know.”

“They’re not big enough to leave their mother.I thought I saw a cat, a yellow cat, on yourporch one morning.”

“Oh, that’s the stable cat. He is very wildand won’t let me come near him. I’d ratherhave a kitten anyway.”

“Well, we can go see the kittens at Effie’seven if we can’t take them just yet, and we shallhave the crow.”

“She isn’t a pet; she is a friend,” replied Jessiewith some dignity, feeling that Adele meantto underrate Playmate Polly’s importance.

[90]In a very short time Ebon had become quitetame, and followed the little girls as if he werea dog. He constantly amused them by hisfunny ways. Although he had not yet learnedto talk, Sam declared that he would in time,and meanwhile Adele went with Jessie to seeEffie’s kittens, and was promised a black one.So from having no companions at all, Jessie feltthat she would be very well supplied that winter.“There will be you and your kitten, meand my kitten, Polly and Eb,” she said to Adele.“That will be a great many of us to play together.”

Jessie sighed. “Yes,” she said, “I have beenthinking of that. I wish we could take lessonslike pills and have done with them.”

“No, I’d just gulp them down with water andhave some bread and jelly afterward.”

The children were in the sitting-room, havingjust returned from Effie’s. Mrs. Loomis wassitting there sewing. She smiled as she listenedto what the children were saying. “I think you[91]will be doing just about as you say,” she remarked.“You will swallow down your lessonsin the morning, and in the afternoon you willhave your bread and jelly in the shape of play.I don’t believe you will find the lessons such aterrible dose as you think.”

“Indeed, I hope so,” returned Jessie with asigh. “Come on, Adele; Peter Pan has lost hisshadow again and I must find it.” This PeterPan of Jessie’s lost his shadow much more frequentlythan did the original one, for the shadowwas nothing but a bit of newspaper fastened bya piece of thread and it was torn off very often.

“I’m going to have a Peter Pan, too,” Adeleannounced triumphantly. “Aunt Betty haswritten papa to bring me one the next time hecomes.”

“There could, too. I am sure I have just asmuch right to name my doll after the Peter Panas you have. There are hundreds and hundredsof George Washingtons in the world and lots andlots of Grover Clevelands.”

Jessie could not deny this, but she was not[92]pleased with the idea of there being anotherPeter Pan so close at hand. “If you nameyour doll Peter Pan, I’ll call mine somethingelse,” she said, and then she added, “I won’thave any use for the grotto, of course, so I willjust pull it down.”

“I think you are horrid mean,” said Adele.“You know I do love that grotto.”

“Well, you can make one for yourself,” saidJessie calmly. “There’s just as much stufffor it on your side of the brook as there is onmine.”

The tears rushed to Adele’s eyes. “Youknow I couldn’t. I should never know how,and besides your side of the brook has a muchbetter bank.”

Adele snatched up her hat and ran from theroom. Jessie, watching her from the windowrather shamefacedly, saw her hurrying downthe hill. She waited till Adele had safelycrossed the log, then she turned away sayingto herself, “There couldn’t possibly be twoPeter Pans.”

Like most of their quarrels this between thetwo little girls did not last long, for the nextmorning Jessie had scarcely finished breakfastbefore Adele appeared eager and smiling.“Papa came last night,” she said, “and so didMiss Eloise.”

Adele laughed. “No, not till to-morrow.Aunt Betty and Miss Eloise want to talk, andbesides Aunt Betty says Miss Eloise is tired andshe mustn’t begin to work right away.”

“Don’t you suppose it is going to be just ashard for Miss Eloise?” put in Mrs. Loomis.“Do you imagine it is going to be very amusingto be shut up with two wilful little girls whodon’t like lessons?”

[96]“Oh!” Jessie had never thought of this sideof the question. She looked at Adele.

“Oh,” said Adele. Then after a pause,“But she doesn’t have to do it if she doesn’twant to, and we do have to.”

“Do you think all persons who do theirduty in this world really prefer not to do someother thing?” asked Mr. Loomis. “Some personslike to teach, I admit, but there are manywho have to learn to like teaching just as muchas you will have to learn to like studying. Sodon’t imagine it will be all fun for Miss Laurent.From what I can learn Miss Eloise consented tobe your teacher because she is a loyal friend, andas your Aunt Betty, Adele, dreaded the thoughtof having a stranger in the house, Miss Eloiseconsented to come. She fortunately has a giftfor teaching, but she is willing to come to thislittle country village because she can be of useto Miss Hallett, and because she thinks she canhelp you little girls. I hope both of you will rememberthat, and that you will do nothing tomake her sorry that she decided to come.”

This very serious way of taking it made thetwo little girls feel quite subdued. Adele was[97]first to recover her spirits. “You don’t knowwhat I’ve got,” she sang out as she held somethingin her hand behind her.

Adele displayed her new possession. “Yes,but I am not going to call it Peter Pan, at least,not yet a while, for it is smaller than yours. Idon’t say I never will, but now I am going toname it after papa.”

“James. I shall call my doll Jamie. Comeon, let’s go down to the grotto. I wish now Ihadn’t asked for a boy-doll; if it had been a girlone I could have called it Wendy instead of thepaper one. Do you know, Jessie, Miss Eloisesays that Peter Pan’s house was in the tree tops.”

“But I like the grotto better,” declared Adele.“Aren’t you ready to go?”

“We can’t go yet; the grass is too wet. We’ll[98]have to wait till the sun dries it a little. Wecan play in here for a while.”

Jessie had not been very enthusiastic over thenew doll though she was relieved that it was notexactly like her own, and that Adele had decidedto call it Jamie. The doll wore a scarletcoat with tiny brass buttons upon it, whitetrousers and a little red cap. He was quite apretty little fellow, and Jessie admired him,though she did not say so. When the sun haddried the grass enough the children set forth,Ebon hopping behind them, sometimes taking ashort flight with flapping wings. It was a brightautumn morning, the sky very blue and the airpleasant.

“I’m so glad it isn’t raining,” remarked Adele,“for it is our last morning.”

They had reached the foot of the hill, andAdele made straight for the grotto, but Jessiestopped in front of the little Polly Willow.“Good-morning, Polly,” she said, gently pattingthe rough bark.

[99]Adele watched her, and then said mockingly,“Good-morning, old Polly.” Then she exclaimed,“I know what I’m going to do; I’mgoing to have a house for my Peter Pan, and Iam going to build it on Polly’s head.”

“Indeed you shall not,” replied Jessie. “Sheis mine and I shall not let you. Besides yousaid you weren’t going to call your doll PeterPan.”

Jessie turned her back on Adele and it seemedas if their last evening’s quarrel would break outafresh.

“Yes, I am.” The reply came in offendedtones. “You know I don’t like you to make funof Polly.”

[100]“Ye-es,” rather reluctantly. “At least I dowhen you don’t do me so mean.”

“I won’t have the house on Polly’s head then.I’ll take this high bush.” She set the scarlet-coatedlittle figure in a bush close by. “Helooks like some red flower there, doesn’t he? I’mgoing to get something to build the house with.”

Jessie did not follow, but busied herself insweeping up, with a bunch of twigs, the bits ofearth which had fallen down over night uponthe floor of the cave, and in putting the mossinto place. Ebon, hopping about, regarded herwith his bright eyes, and coming nearer tried topeck at the shining piece of glass which made thelake in the centre of the grotto. “Go away,Eb,” cried Jessie. “You are getting too fustyentirely.” She shoved him away with her elbow,and he strutted off dipping his head and utteringsome protesting caws. After a few minutes[101]Jessie had the grotto in pretty good order, butconcluded a few more pebbles would not comeamiss. These must be found in the brook. Thewater was very clear, and in the shallow partsone could easily get at the pebbles lying at thebottom of the stream. There was a scraggy treetrunk at the water’s edge, and on this Jessie sat,holding on to one gnarly root while she reachedover to get the pebbles. Brown leaves wentdrifting by on the stream; a Bob White calledfrom the grass near by. Jessie nodded understandinglyto Playmate Polly. “You like it,don’t you, Polly, or you wouldn’t stay here. Theidea of any one’s building a house on your head.I shall put your hat on and then you will be ableto show that you are not just an ordinary tree.But now I must take back my pebbles.”

She gathered up the little stones and returnedto the grotto where she went on with her pavingtill she heard Adele’s voice saying: “I havesome beauty leaves all red and yellow, and Ifound some moss, too.” Then an exclamation:“Why, where is my Peter Pan? Jessie Loomis,you have hidden him just to tease me.”

[102]“’Deed I have not,” returned Jessie. “I havebeen getting pebbles from the brook.”

“I put him right here on top of this bush,”said Adele, “and he’s gone, so you must havetaken him. You did it on purpose just becauseyou didn’t want me to have a Peter Pan.”

“I did not,” returned Jessie indignantly.“He could easily have fallen off. Look allaround, in the grass and the leaves.”

“Has Mrs. Mooky been here?” asked Adele.“You know that story of the little Tom Thumbthat the cow was going to eat.”

“I believe Mrs. Mooky was somewhere about,”Jessie told her. “No,” she remembered, “itwasn’t near here that I saw her; it was on theother side of the fence in the pasture.”

Adele began to hunt around diligently, Jessiejoining in the search, but no lost doll was to befound. Once a bunch of scarlet berries on abush deceived them into thinking that by somemysterious means the doll had been spiritedaway. “For you know he could fly,” said Adele.

At last they were obliged to give up looking,and Adele went home quite convinced that Jessieknew where the doll was hidden, and Jessie, in[103]her turn went off up the hill toward the house,hurt and distressed to think that Adele shouldnot have believed her.

She went back after dinner to renew thesearch, and became satisfied after a long huntthat Adele had mistaken the bush and that shehad put it somewhere else. A hollow stump inthe neighborhood seemed the most likely place,but though she managed to climb up whereshe could peep into the hollow, it was all darkwithin and a stick poked in did nothing morethan scare a chipmunk nearly out of his wits,so that presently he came out chattering andbristling with rage and fear. Jessie went homeand told her mother all about it, and after Mrs.Loomis had gone with her to see what she coulddo, they both concluded that the doll must havefallen far down into this same hollow stump,and that it could not be found unless the stumpwere grubbed up.

“Do you think I ought to give her my PeterPan?” Jessie asked hesitatingly. “I like himbest of all my dolls except Charity.”

“No, I don’t think you need do that,” hermother told her, “but when I go to town I will[104]try to find one that you can give her to replacethis.”

“Yes, if you like. I think if you do, it willconvince her that you spoke the truth.”

“Circumstances were against you, my dear.I know it is very hard to be suspected, but therewas some reason for Adele’s doing so, and I amsure she will be satisfied when you tell her sheis to have another doll.”

Jessie set off toward the brook. She did notfail to search for the doll as she went, but shestopped to lay her hand upon Playmate Pollyand to say: “You would have believed me,Polly. You always do believe me, and I don’tthink I shall ever tell Adele again that I likeher best.”

Playmate Polly made no answer, but themurmuring brook sang a little song that Jessieliked and the whispering trees seemed to say:“We know, we know.” The same little chipmunkwas sitting on his haunches on top of the[105]hollow stump. He chattered fiercely as he sawJessie, and leaping into the nearest pine treewent whisking off. Jessie was not sure but sheliked her favorite playground better without thepresence of Adele, and she almost wished theyellow house were still empty. It seemed as ifshe and Adele were continually at odds, andthough Adele professed to care very much forher, she didn’t see how it were possible whenshe doubted her word.

She went rather slowly through the piece ofwoods and through the orchard which lay on theother side of the brook. She realized that nowshe would meet Miss Eloise, and though shewanted much to see what manner of person shewas, she rather dreaded the meeting, and besidesshe really did not feel in a very friendlymood toward Adele just then, only she could nothave her go on believing untrue things. Atlast she came out close to the garden fence.She stood still for a moment before she openedthe gate and went through. There was no oneabout, but she heard voices from the frontporch, and as she turned the corner of thehouse she saw that there were four persons on[106]the porch, Miss Betty, a strange lady with fairhair who must be Miss Eloise, a man who wasprobably Adele’s father, and Adele herself.Jessie paused where she stood but Adele hadheard the click of the gate and had caught sightof the visitor.

“There she is now,” cried Adele. “Have youfound him, Jessie? Have you found him?”

Jessie came slowly forward. “No,” shesaid shyly. “Mother helped me to look. Wethink he must have fallen down into a hollowstump and has gone way down inside, but mothersays she is going to town very soon and she willget you another doll just like it.”

Miss Betty was listening. “Indeed she mustnot do that, Jessie,” she said. “A little cheapdoll like that is no loss, besides it was not youwho lost it, but Adele, and her father caneasily get another when he goes back to thecity.”

“But,” Jessie hesitated, then she turned to MissBetty. “I want mother to get it so Adele willbelieve I spoke the truth, that I don’t tell stories.”Jessie held her head high.

Miss Betty looked at Adele. “Why, honey,”[107]she said, “I am sure you never told Jessie thatshe wasn’t truthful.”

Adele nodded. “Hm, hm, I did, because Ithought she might have hidden the doll to teaseme and because she didn’t want me to have aPeter Pan.”

“But she has proved that she does want youto have one by asking her mother to replace theone that is lost, and besides, you told me that youwere the last one that had the doll.”

Adele rushed at Jessie and flung her armsaround her. “Wasn’t I horrid?” she said. “I’llbelieve every word you say after this. I supposeyou will say,” she whispered, “that Polly alwayshas believed you.”

“I don’t care,” returned Adele defiantly. “Ibelieve after all that she is a thief, and that shestole my doll.”

“What are you talking about?” asked MissBetty. “You both look as fierce as turkey-cocks.”

“You absurd children!” said Miss Betty laughing.“Come, Jessie, don’t you want to meet your[108]teacher? She is very anxious to meet you.Eloise, dear, this is your other little pupil.”

Jessie was conscious of a pair of gray eyes thatlooked at her very steadily but very kindly, andof two warm hands that held hers, but she wasovercome with shyness and said not a word.

“Do you think you are going to like her morethan you do me?” Adele asked Miss Eloise anxiously.

“You jealous little monkey,” said her aunt.“Why shouldn’t she like Jessie best? Don’t youwant her to?”

“A perfectly safe reply,” said Miss Eloise. “Ihope I have a place in my heart big enough forboth of you, my dears.”

“This is papa,” said Adele swinging Jessiearound in front of Mr. Hallett, who held out hishand.

“I hope you and this will-o’-the-wisp of ourswill be good friends,” he said to Jessie. “Sheneeds some one to tone her down a little, andkeep her from having tantrums.” He softly pattedAdele’s hand as he spoke.

[109]“Jessie has tantrums, too,” spoke up Adele,“but they are pouty ones, not screamy like mine.”

Jessie blushed and felt greatly embarrassed.She wished Adele were not quite so outspoken.

“Never mind, dear,” said Miss Eloise leaningover and putting her arm around Jessie. “If wedon’t all have tantrums we all feel like it sometimes,and when we were little girls very few ofus did not have them. We generally outgrewthem, or learned self-control, and that is whatyou and Adele will do.”

So soon did this lady put her at her ease thatin a few minutes she found herself talking quiteglibly about her home, her pets, and her reasonsfor leaving school, realizing that she would notin the least mind having lessons the next day.But presently she remembered that she was notto stay too long, so she took her leave, Adelecalling after her: “Remember, you are not toget another doll. I won’t let you, and I’d ratherhave a Wendy anyhow.”

It was with rather mixed feelings that Jessieset out the next morning to begin lessons withMiss Eloise. She didn’t enjoy the idea of studying,but she did like Miss Eloise and it would bequite a novelty to have but one other schoolmate.She felt rather important, too, from the fact thatshe was to begin French and music. This lastthought gave confidence to her step and brightnessto her face when she appeared on the porchof the yellow house.

Adele danced out to meet her. “We’re allready,” she said. “Miss Eloise and I have beenfixing up the schoolroom, and we have put flowersin there so it looks very nice. We are tohave a table between us, you and I. You shallchoose which end you like best and I will takethe other. Elle est ici, mademoiselle,” she calledout when they reached the top of the stairs, and[114]Jessie suddenly remembered that Adele knewFrench almost as well as English, and she feltherself very ignorant.

However, Miss Eloise gave her such a cordialgreeting, and the schoolroom was so bright andcheery that she soon forgot everything but herinterest in choosing which end of the table shepreferred, and in looking at the books MissEloise had piled up. They were all fresh andnew and Jessie liked new books. “I don’t knowa word of French,” she said when she hadseated herself.

“She need not say it five minutes from now,”put in Adele. “She can begin withBon jour,can’t she, Miss Eloise? SayBon jour, Jessie.”

“Now you can say good-day,” Adele told her,“and you can’t say any more that you don’tknow a word of French.” Then she turned toMiss Eloise and chatted away volubly for aminute or two while Jessie listened and wonderedif she would ever be so glib with a foreigntongue.

[115]“I think I will make a rule that you are tospeak to each other only in French during lessonhours,” said Miss Eloise. “That will give youboth a chance and Jessie will be surprised howsoon she will be able to understand and speak anumber of words. Now we will start in withsomething else. Come here, Jessie, and show mehow far you have gone in arithmetic and howwell you can spell.”

It turned out that Jessie was far ahead ofAdele in these studies, but that the latter knewmore history and had a smattering of a numberof other things which Jessie knew nothing about.But after a while Miss Eloise managed to arrangeclasses for them, dropping some of Adele’sstudies, which did not seem necessary for thepresent, and adding some to Jessie’s list. Butthey had hardly settled down to real work beforeit was time for a morsel of lunch and a fifteenminutes’ run out-of-doors.

“I don’t think those were very bad pills totake,” said Jessie as the two sat munching theirapples on the porch steps.

“They will be worse after a while, I suppose,”said Adele. “Wait till you have to sit at the[116]piano and practice stupid exercises half an hourat a time. You won’t like that one bit.”

“I suppose not,” returned Jessie with asigh. “But you don’t have to do that all thetime, do you? You will have pieces after awhile.”

“Oh, after a fashion, but they are not what Icall tunes,” she said scornfully.

This sounded very discouraging, but Jessiewas not going to give up hope. “Maybe someteachers do that way,” she said, “but I don’t believeMiss Eloise will.”

The tinkle of a little bell took them indoors tolessons again, and the next hour or two passedquickly, and to Jessie’s surprise very pleasantly.“It is much nicer than going to the Hill School,”she told her mother. “I know a whole lot ofFrench and some of my notes on the piano.When I know them all am I going to have apiano, mother?”

“Not at present,” Mrs. Loomis told her. “Youare to practice on Adele’s piano for a while.Pianos are rather expensive things and we shall[117]have to save up a lot of eggs and butter beforewe can buy one.”

Jessie threw her arms around her mother’sneck and gave her a mighty hug. “And youare worth all the money in the world,” she said.“My two brothers are pretty far away, but I dosee them sometimes, and that’s much better thannot having any at all. Yes, I believe I am muchricher than Adele. She hasn’t any pets either.Where is Eb, mother?”

“Oh, my dear, I don’t know. He is out-of-doorssomewhere. We cannot have him in thehouse very often, for he gets into so much mischief.”

Jessie went out to find Eb, but not seeing himnear, she concluded to go to Playmate Polly andtell her all about her morning at the yellowhouse, for Polly was always a good listener. Itwas rather pleasant, too, to feel free to do exactlyas she liked after the restriction of a morning inthe schoolroom.

She was sitting on a big rock talking quietly[118]in an undertone to Polly, when with a whoop anda hallo two boys came vaulting over the fenceand rushed toward her. For a moment Jessiewas so startled that she could give only littleshrieks, but these soon changed to a squeal ofdelight when she discovered the two intrudersto be her brothers, Max and Walter. “Oh!oh!” she cried. “Where did you come from,and how do you happen to be home to-day?”

“Why, it is just a piece of luck for us,” saidMax catching her up and kissing her. “One ofthe boys, Carl Potter, is ill with something, thedoctor doesn’t know just what yet, and so hethought we boys had better come home for afew days till he finds out whether it is diphtheriaor not. Of course I don’t mean it is luckfor old Carl, but it gives us a holiday.”

“I hope it isn’t diphtheria,” said Jessie sympathetically,“though it is nice to have you home;it does seem so quiet without you. I have athousand things to tell you.”

“Well, I don’t go to the Hill School any more,but I have lessons with Adele—she lives in the[119]yellow house, you know. I know some French.Bon jour, monsieur. Comme portez vous?”

“Stop your fooling,” put in Max. “Don’t besuch a blower, Walter. I know just about howmuch Latin you know. Never mind him, Jess,go on.”

“I have begun music, too,” Jessie turned to herelder brother, “and some day I shall have a pianowhen mother can save enough butter and eggs toget me one.”

“Then you don’t see old Ezra any more,” saidWalter, “and can’t tell us anything about thetrains and the engines.”

“No.” Jessie shook her head. “I haven’tbeen to see him. He had rheumatism, and Ifell on the track one day; that’s why I stoppedgoing to school. There is a cross man in Ezra’splace and I don’t like him.”

“I say, that’s too bad,” said Max. “Old Ezrais always so good-natured about letting you flagtrains and things.”

[120]“I’ve got a crow,” suddenly exclaimed Jessie,“and his name is Eb. That’s short for Ebony.He doesn’t talk yet, but he is going to, Sam says.I think he must be up in the barn. Come, andI’ll show him to you. I have a new friend, too.Her name is Adele Pauline Falaise Hallett, andshe lives in the yellow house.”

“Mother wrote to us that the yellow housewas taken,” said Walter. “I’m sorry, for nowwe fellows can’t go there and play in that emptybarn like we used to.”

“Effie is a friend, of course, but she lives acrossthe railroad, and I can’t go to see her unlesssome one goes with me. Besides, she has a newfriend, too; a girl named Anna Sharp that hascome to the neighborhood, so Effie don’t mindbeing second best. She has a gray kitten that isto be mine when it is big enough.”

“Girls are always so crazy about cats andkittens,” said Walter scornfully. “I’d muchrather have the crow.”

“Well, you can’t have him. Sam brought himto me,” returned Jessie a little sharply. Boys[121]were entirely too fond of making slighting remarksabout girls, she thought.

“Oh, keep your old crow,” returned Walter.“No doubt you’ll be glad enough to get rid ofhim some day.”

“Wait and see,” replied Walter mysteriously.“Say, Max, let’s go see old Ezra. Maybe he isall right now, and I want to know about thetrains. We’ll see enough of the old crow, andit is a good time to go to Ezra’s.”

“Well, you can’t,” returned Walter. “Wedon’t want girls tagging everywhere we go.”

“Oh, let her come,” put in Max. “You mightbe a little more decent to her the first day youget home. You can come, Jess.” Max was theeldest and Walter generally accepted his lead,so Jessie put her hand confidingly in her bigbrother’s and they set out. She thought Walterwas very disagreeable to speak to her as he didwhen he had been separated from her all theseweeks, and she took pains not to address a wordto him on the way. She chatted to Max, howevertalking of the things she knew would interest[122]him: the change in the schedule, how 589was very late one day, and how she had flaggeda train one afternoon, how 248 had a hot boxone morning so it had to stop on a siding. WhenWalter put eager questions to her she simplygave him a dignified stare and went on talkingto Max. Her triumph was complete when theyarrived at the crossing to find that Ezra wasback again at his post and that his best greetingwas for the little girl.

“Well, well, well,” he exclaimed, “here youare at last. I certainly have missed you, littlegirl. Not going to school any more? I wasafraid you might be sick. Been watching forye every day since I got over my rheumatiz.When you going to start again? Hallo, boys.”He gave a nod to each, but it was plain to seethat it was Jessie who had the warmest welcome.

“I’ve stopped going to school,” Jessie toldhim. “You weren’t here, you know, Ezra, sofather and mother were afraid to have me crossthe track. I tripped and fell one day when thetrain was coming.”

“Pshaw!” exclaimed Ezra. “Sykes nevertold me of that. I was in such misery I couldn’t[123]think about much else but my pains for a while.You don’t say you ain’t going back at all?”

“Not this winter,” Jessie told him. “I amstudying with Adele Hallett at the yellowhouse.”

“They’re new folks, ain’t they? Well, I certainlyam sorry to lose the sight of ye every day.It is too bad Sykes had to take my place or yemight be mounting the hill every morning justthe same as usual. Father knew I’d look out forye, didn’t he?”

“Oh, yes. He said as long as you were therehe didn’t have any fear, even if the trains werechanged. But after I fell that day when thetrain was coming, mother said she would neverfeel easy again.”

“Too bad, too bad. I am sorry.” Ezra tookoff his cap and wiped his bald head with a redhandkerchief. He was a little wrinkled-facedold man with mild blue eyes. He wore a littlefringe of beard under his chin, and his pleasantmouth always widened to a smile for his friends.“Right warm day for October, ain’t it?” he saidpulling up his stool which stood by the door ofthe little house. “Wish I had more chairs to[124]offer ye. Guess ladies will have to come first.”He waved Jessie to the stool.

“Oh, no.” Jessie refused the proffered seat.“We’d rather you’d sit there, Ezra. The boysand I can do just as well with these railroad tiesthat are piled up here. Has 589 gone by yet?”

Ezra took out his watch. “She’s due in justfive minutes. I thought I heard her whistlingfor Boyds a while ago. She’s on time to-day.”

“May I hold the flag?” said Jessie eagerly.“It has been such a long time since I did.”

“To be sure ye may,” returned Ezra, takingthe flag from where it stood leaning against thedoor. “Yes, I thought so; she’s whistling forthe cut.”

So far Jessie had monopolized the conversationand now Walter spoke up. “Have they put onany new engines, Ezra?”

“Glad to say ther hain’t. Come near being onedown by Millersville the other day.”

“Have to wait till 589 has went by. Here,[125]honey,” he turned to Jessie. “Get up and be allready. She’ll whistle in a minute for ourcrossing.”

Jessie took her place on the stool set for her,flag in hand, Ezra standing close by, and presentlythere was a shrill whistle and next thetrain flew by.

“Humph!” exclaimed Walter in rather a dissatisfiedway. He did not like it that Jessieshould be having all the fun. “What about theaccident?” he said turning to Ezra.

Ezra launched forth into an account of howthe freight train from the west was on the trackand a special was behind her. Somehow BillDowns didn’t get the orders clear and backedinto a siding just in time to avoid a crash. “Reversed,sir,” said Ezra. “Heard the specialwhistle at the cut and put on steam so he reachedthe siding in time to back. If he’d been a secondlater all would have been up.”

The children listened attentively. Bill Downs[126]was a familiar figure to them, and his engine anold acquaintance, so his escape was of momentousinterest.

After a little more railroad gossip the boysconcluded it was time to return, as the sun wassetting and the short afternoon was nearly over.“Come again, come again,” said Ezra, his eyeson Jessie who waved her hand to him till a turnin the road hid him from sight.

“I wish I had taken him some apples,” shesaid. “His trees have hardly any on them thisyear, and he is so fond of them.”

“We’ll take some to him to-morrow,” saidWalter importantly. “You needn’t bother.”

“I thought of it first,” said Jessie, not likingto have her ideas taken possession of in thisstyle.

“That makes no difference,” returned Walter.“The few you could carry wouldn’t do muchgood. Max and I can take a big basketful.”

Jessie did not answer, but she determined tocarry out her plan if she could. If going awayto school made Walter like this she didn’t thinkit was doing him much good. The boys left herat the first gate for they caught sight of their[127]father in a field near by, and joined him, so Jessiewent up to the house alone. She sought hermother immediately. “Mother,” she said, “Iwish you would send Walter to another school.”

“Because he’s so—so—he has such a contemptiblenessfor girls since he’s been away. Heused not to care when I wanted to go with himand Max, and now he is at home again he justwants to put me down all the time. I said Iwanted to take some apples to Ezra, and he sayshe is going to. I thought of it first, mother, andEzra has been so good to me. Couldn’t you letSam go with me to-morrow morning, and carrya big basketful, bigger than Walter and Maxcould carry?”

Mrs. Loomis was thoughtful for a moment.She realized that Walter had no right to set asideJessie’s little plan, so she said, “I am afraidSam cannot be spared, but I will tell you whatcan be done. I have to go to Mrs. Traill’s to-morrowmorning, and you could go as far as thecrossing with me. We can carry a big basket ofapples in the phaeton and leave them for Ezra,[128]then you can go on to your lessons fromthere.”

“Oh, lovely!” cried Jessie. “You always dothink of just the right thing, mother. Will youtell Walter we are going to take the apples?”

“Yes, and I think it is right that you shouldbe the one to go with them, for we appreciatevery much his kindness to you.”

No more was said then, but at the supper tableMrs. Loomis told her husband what had been arrangedand asked him to select a lot of theirfinest apples for the basket. Jessie gave Waltera triumphant look across the table. He answeredby making a mouth at her, but she did not careas she had her mother on her side.

This time Jessie had no words except the expressiveexclamation “Pff!” given with a mostcontemptuous toss of the head.

The rest of the time that the boys were athome Jessie did not see much of them. She foundso many things to interest her at the yellowhouse, that she enjoyed the novelty of it, andmoreover, when she was there she was free fromWalter’s teasing, so she spent most of her timewith Adele, to the latter’s delight.

The afternoon of the day when the apples weretaken to Ezra, the two little girls sought theirplayground by the brook, but Max and Walterdiscovered them, and as they did not want theirsecrets known, they quickly covered up thegrotto and beat a hasty retreat across the brook.“I don’t mind Max so much,” Jessie explained,“though even he teases sometimes, but Walteris such a worry when he sets out to be, and if heknew about Playmate Polly and Peter Pan’sgrotto he would be sure to do something to themjust to pay me back for taking the apples. So[132]we will play in your garden or the summer-house.I will take Charity and you can get one of yourdolls.”

“The back porch is a good place,” returnedAdele. “I am sorry your brothers aren’t niceand I am glad I haven’t any.”

“But they are nice,” returned Jessie on the defensive.“They are very nice. All boys teaseand Max was lovely the other day when I wantedto go with them. He is older than Walter. Isuppose that is the reason. Since Walter hasbeen going to boarding-school he thinks himselfso smart.”

The two little girls trudged up the hill towardthe yellow house and as they entered the gardenthey heard some one calling, “Adele! Adele!where are you?”

They ran around the corner of the house.Miss Betty and Miss Eloise were both on thefront porch. By the steps was standing a littlegray pony harnessed to a small pony cart. “Oh,dear, company, I suppose,” said Adele disgustedly.[133]“I wish we’d stayed away. I suppose now I shallhave to be kissed and called a sweet child.”

“I wonder who it is,” said Jessie more curious.“That turnout does not belong to any one aroundhere. I know just what every one drives. EffieHinsdale’s mother has a white horse; the minister’swife drives a sorrel; Mrs. Traill has twoblack horses and——”

But she went no further for Miss Betty hadseen the two children and was calling out, “Comehere, dears, such a lovely surprise for you!Whose do you think that is, Adele?”

“I’m sure I don’t know. It isn’t the cousinsfrom the city, is it, Aunt Bet?” said Adele.

“No.” Miss Betty shook her head. “It belongsto the cousin of the cousins from the city.”

“Aunt Betty, you don’t mean me!” criedAdele. “It isn’t mine. It couldn’t possibly be.”

“That is exactly whose it is,” Miss Betty toldher. “Your father has sent it to you for a birthdaygift.”

[134]“That is true. He couldn’t get what hewanted at once, so he had to wait, and so yourpresent has just arrived.”

Adele rushed forward and clasped the pony’sneck. “Oh, you dear beautiful thing,” shecried. “I love you. Oh, Jessie, isn’t he abeauty?”

“I can drive,” declared Jessie. “I often drivewhen I am out with mother.”

“I truly can,” Jessie told her. “I often driveall the way. I can turn out for the big teams[135]and I can drive in through the gates as straightas anything.”

“Then you may jump in and show us whatyou can do,” Miss Betty consented, and the littlegirls were not slow in obeying.

“Oh, not out of sight. Just up and down theroad where we can see you,” Miss Betty directed.

Jessie proudly turned the pony’s head towardthe gate, drove through without accident, andsoon the little pony was trotting up the road.Miss Betty and Miss Eloise came to the gate towatch. Jessie turned carefully and brought thepony back in triumph.

“Can’t she drive well?” said Adele admiringly.“She is going to teach me, and when sheisn’t here to do it Otto can.” Otto was the Halletts’man. “What shall I name him, AuntBetty?”

“Good! That will just suit him, but I shallnever lend him to a lady to ride him far away.Oh, no, we don’t want to get out yet.”

[136]“But the little pony must be tired. He hascome a long distance to-day.”

That put another face upon the matter andAdele was quite willing that Jessie should giveup the reins to Otto who led Dapple Gray to thestable.

“I never knew such lovely things as happennowadays,” said Adele as she and Jessie returnedto the garden. “First I met you and we hadthe lovely plays down by the brook, then cameEb, and now this dear Dapple Gray! Before Icame here weeks and weeks used to go by andnothing at all happened. I do hope we can godriving every day by ourselves; it would be suchfun.”

Within a week Adele had learned to manageher pony pretty well, and the two little girlswere allowed to take a short drive each day,not going out of sight of the house, but in timeAdele tired of this and was bent upon goingfarther. She begged and entreated till MissBetty was on the point of yielding, and at lastagreed to take a longer drive than usual in herown carriage that Adele and Jessie might followin the pony cart. This satisfied Adele for a[137]week, but there came a day when Miss Bettyhad one of her severe headaches, and Miss Eloisewas not willing to leave her, so the two littlegirls were told they could take their drive alone,but must not go out of sight.

They started off contentedly enough, but soonAdele became tired of the monotonous drive upand down in front of the house. “Miss Eloise iswith Aunt Betty and I know she isn’t thinkingabout us,” she said. “We may just as well go alittle further and she will never know. It is sosilly to go up and down, up and down, thisstupid road and nowhere else.”

“Oh, but it wouldn’t be right, whether shesees us or not,” protested Jessie.

“There isn’t a bit of harm in it,” Adele insisted.“We go every day, and just because weare not with them it doesn’t matter. I am goingfurther whether any one likes it or not.” Shegave a little jerk to the reins and Dapple Graystarted off on a trot. The excitement of a fastergait stirred Adele to further desire for a rapiddrive. “I am tired to death of this old road,”she declared. “I want to go somewhere new.I am going to turn up this way.”

“You needn’t say a word,” Adele interrupted.“You haven’t a thing to do with it. This is mypony and my cart, and you have to do it to sitstill. You are my company and I am taking youto drive.”

Jessie felt that this was quite true, though sheknew that Adele was doing wrong. She realizedthat she ought to do something, but she did notknow just what. If she insisted upon gettingout and going home she would leave Adele allalone, and that would be worse than staying tohelp her out of any difficulty into which shemight fall. “Perhaps I’d better drive,” she venturedafter a while when Adele had recklesslydriven over a big stone and had almost bumpedinto a stump by the way.

“No, you shall not,” returned Adele. “Theonly way to learn to do a thing is to keep on doingit, no matter if you do it wrong sometimes.Papa always says so.”

Jessie had nothing to reply to this, but shewatched Adele carefully. They were coming toa hill. Jessie looked around earnestly. “Oh!”she exclaimed, “do be careful, Adele. We are[139]coming to the cut. It is at the foot of thishill. We came by the mill, I remember, and thisleads by the old schoolhouse. We’d better turnand go back.”

“No, thank you,” replied Adele, “I’m goingon. If you are scared you can get out andwalk.”

Jessie’s feelings were deeply hurt. She wasn’texactly scared, but she knew at the foot of thehill was the railroad cut, and though there wasalways some one there, if the horse took fright,or if anything happened to the cart or harness,it might mean an accident. “We have to crossthe railroad,” she said after a pause.

“Hold him in,” cried Jessie sharply, clutchingat the reins as Dapple Gray went down the hillat a more rapid rate than she felt safe.

“Just let me alone,” cried Adele giving DappleGray a light touch with the whip.

“Don’t! Don’t!” cried Jessie, but Adele onlylaughed, and directly they were at the foot ofthe hill where the railroad ran. Instead of takinga clean straight course across it, Adele tried[140]to drive diagonally. “There’s a whistle,” criedJessie in alarm. Adele raised the whip again.Dapple Gray made a plunge forward. A wheelcaught and presently Jessie was conscious thatshe was rolling down an embankment. Then sheknew nothing for some time.

When she came to her senses, she was lying ina little gully among some bushes. She raisedher head and then struggled to her feet. “Nobones broken,” she said to herself, though shefelt shaken and sore. She stood up and lookedaround. At a little distance she saw Adele sittingsobbing miserably. She ran toward her asfast as her bruises would allow. “Oh, Adele!Adele!” she cried, “are you hurt?”

“Oh, dear, dear, how dreadful,” respondedJessie. “Where is Dapple Gray?”

Jessie climbed the bank and there saw DappleGray patiently standing, a broken wheel showingwhat had happened. The wheel had caught inthe track and although both girls were thrownout as the wheel gave way the little pony had[141]not bolted, but stood his ground. Jessie went upto him, and began to unfasten the harness. “Itwon’t do for you to stand so near the track,” shesaid. “You were a dear good pony not to run.The cart isn’t on the track, I am glad to say.”She led the pony down the bank to where Adelesat. “We are quite a way from home,” she said.“Shall you be afraid to stay here while I go forsome one to take us back?”

“If you could come up a little higher, youcould watch me as I go,” said Jessie. “Ezralives the nearest, and I am going down the trackto call him.” Adele, still moaning and crying,allowed herself to be led to a higher spot. “Idon’t think there will be any more trains forsome time,” Jessie assured her, “and if you stayright here you can watch me going and coming.I will be as quick as I can.”

Adele suffered herself to be left and Jessie setout. Further down the railroad spanned a gullythrough which ran the brook. The only way tocross it was upon a narrow boardwalk on oneside the bridge, this being used by the workmen[142]as a short cut. The longer way was to go downhill and around to a foot-bridge higher up thebrook. Jessie hesitated when she reached thepath which led down hill. Should she go thatway, or should she venture across the railroadbridge? If she did not look down and holdclosely to the railing, perhaps it would not be sobad. She decided to try. So she stepped cautiouslyupon the planks and went on slowly,doing very well till she reached the middle, whenincautiously she glanced down at the rushingwater below. For one moment she felt sick andfaint. Everything swam around. Then sheclosed her eyes and held tightly to the railing,stepping along slowly, each moment seeming anhour. In a few minutes her heart stopped itsrapid beating and her head felt steady, so sheopened her eyes and fixed them on the oppositebank, not once turning them from there, and atlast she was safely over.

A little beyond was Ezra’s house with its smilinggarden and white fence. Although she feltsore and bruised she began to run, forgetting herpain in her anxiety to reach the house. It wasabout Ezra’s supper time; there would be no[143]trains coming or going at this time of day, andshe would be sure to find the old man at home.So she began to call, “Ezra! Ezra!” and presentlyshe saw his gray head over the fence.

He opened the gate and came out to meet her.“Why, little girl!” he exclaimed, “what are youdoing on this road? ’Tain’t your way from home.Why, your face is cut and you’re all mussed up.Tumble down?”

“Oh, Ezra! Ezra!” cried Jessie, seizing his hand,“the pony cart upset us over the bank there bythe cut, and Adele has hurt her arm. The ponyis all right. He is standing just as still, but thecart-wheel is off so we can’t get home, at least Idon’t know how to get Adele and the pony home.”

Ezra uttered an exclamation. “You poor littletot, what would your mother say? Supposeyou had slipped under the hand-rail and had falleninto the water?”

“Humph! Well, you don’t go back, that’sall. Come right in here and let my daughterstraighten you out, wash off that poor little batteredup face. Mark and I will go get the ponyand the little girl. What do ye say her name is?”

Ezra nodded. “Belongs to the yellow house.What ye been doing driving off in that directionby yourselves, is what I want to know.”

Jessie was silent. She did not like to blameAdele, though she knew it was entirely herfault. “I told Adele I’d hurry back,” she said.

“You’re not going back,” declared Ezra.“I’ll look after that young miss myself. Comeright in the house. Here, Kitty,” he spoke to ayoung woman at the door. “Here’s Miss Loomisthat brought us those good apples. She’s had anaccident up the road a piece. Her and a youngmiss was out driving, and as far as I can makeout they got catched on the railroad and a wheelcame off. You tidy her up a bit while Mark andme goes after the other one.”

Jessie had often seen Ezra’s daughter as wellas her husband Mark, and she was quite willing[145]to be taken indoors to have her face bathed, thedirt brushed from her clothes and herself generallylooked after. There was a tremendousbruise on her leg, one stocking was badly torn,and the side of her face was scraped and sorewhere she had fallen against the bank.

“It’s lucky you weren’t killed outright,” saidKitty, when by dint of much questioning shelearned how the thing happened. “Pappy’ll beback in no time. You just set still and wait forhim. I reckon your ma’ll be glad to see youalive when she hears what’s went on.”

She established Jessie in a chair by the windowand continued her preparations for supper. In avery short time Ezra and Mark were back againwith Adele in the wagon and Dapple Gray behindit. “I conclude she has broken her arm,”said Ezra to his daughter as he came into thehouse. “There ain’t no time to lose in gettingher to the doctor to have it sot, so I think thequickest way is to drive her right to Dr. Sadtler’sand let him see what’s wrong. I ain’t saidnothin’ to her about what I think.”

[146]Jessie had flown to Adele. “I couldn’t come,”she exclaimed. “Ezra wouldn’t let me. Do youfeel any better?”

“No.” Adele shook her head and her tearsbroke out afresh. “I want to go home, I wantto go home,” she sobbed.

Ezra came out before Jessie had time for anotherword. “You stay here, honey,” he said toJessie. “I’ll take this young lady to the doctorand let him fix her up so she’ll feel better andthen we’ll come back for you.”

But Adele wailed out, “Go with me, Jessie.Go with me. I don’t want to see the doctor allalone.”

“Yes, sir, Ezra will be right with you,” saidthat person, “and moreover this young miss isn’tto go; she isn’t fit, all bruised up as she is. Youwon’t be alone, bless you, child. There ain’t akinder woman in the country than Mrs. Sadtler,and she’ll mother you fine. You’ll be all right inno time. No, you don’t!” he stopped Jessiefrom climbing into the wagon. Mark had unfastenedDapple Gray and had tied him to the[147]hitching-post. “We’ll go for the cart after awhile,” said Ezra gathering up the reins. “Youwait here, child, and I’ll be back as quick as Ican.” So Jessie was obliged to see Adele driveoff while she was left to Kitty’s tender mercies.

It was a very subdued and wan little Adele whowas helped into the house by the doctor, who remainedto explain the situation, while Ezra tookJessie home. Poor Miss Betty was overcome atsight of her niece with her arm in splints andlooking so pale. “Child! child!” she cried.“What has happened? We have been so anxiousabout you. At first we thought you had gonehome with Jessie, but Otto said he saw youdriving in an opposite direction.” She turned tothe doctor. “What has happened?” she askedtremulously.

“It seems the young ladies were crossing thetrack just there by the cut and the wheel caughtin the track, upsetting their cart and throwingthem out. Fortunately there is no worse damagedone than a broken arm and a broken cart.”

“Not a bit of it. Fine little beast that he is,[152]he stood stock still. Little Loomis girl wasthrown into some bushes. She was stunned bythe fall, but seems all right otherwise except fora few bruises. She was a little Trojan, EzraLimpett tells me, and tramped across that dangerousrailroad bridge to get help. You’d betterhave this child put to bed, Miss Hallett, and I seeyou look rather the worse for wear yourself.”

“I’ve had one of my headaches,” replied MissBetty, passing her hand over her forehead.

“Humph! Fine time to take for explorations.I gather that’s what the youngsters were doing.At least my wife says so.” The doctor spoke asif he had no patience with such doings.

Miss Betty turned a troubled face upon Adele.“Oh, my child, how could you?” she exclaimed.“Didn’t you know we do not allow you to goout of sight of the house?”

Adele burst into loud sobs. “There, there,”said Miss Betty, soothingly; “I am sure you havehad punishment enough, and I won’t scold, but Iwish your father had never bought you that pony.I shall never have an easy day after this.”

“The pony is all right,” declared the doctor.“He had the good sense not to run when he felt[153]the wheel going. He is a fine little fellow andit is due to his good behavior that the childrencame to no worse mishap. I’ll leave a quietingdraught for the child, Miss Hallett, and somethingfor that head of yours.”

“This won’t come amiss,” replied the doctor,putting a few tablets into a small phial. “Get thechild to bed and go yourself. I’ll come again inthe morning.”

So while those in the yellow house were lookingafter Adele, Jessie was being driven homebehind Ezra’s old white horse and was deliveredsafe, if not quite sound, into her mother’s arms.

As it was getting late Mrs. Loomis was gettinganxious, and was about to send Max to the Halletts’after his little sister. Ezra had not waitedfor thanks, but as soon as he had set Jessie safelydown before her own door he drove off at asrapid a pace as his old horse could travel. AtJessie’s sudden appearance looking as if she hadbeen through the wars her mother cried out:“Why, my child, what is the matter? How didyou get such a scratched face? and look at yourstocking torn to shreds.”

[154]“Well, I vow!” exclaimed Walter, “you dolook a sight! Been climbing trees, I bet.”

“Indeed I’ve not,” returned Jessie. “I canclimb trees, but I haven’t done it to-day. I’lltell you, mother, but I don’t want to beforeWalter.”

“Oh, all right,” said that person indifferently,“I don’t want to know.”

“Your leg?” Mrs. Loomis began to lookalarmed, and led Jessie up-stairs. “My dearchild,” she said when they had entered Jessie’slittle room, “what has happened?”

“It wasn’t my fault, indeed it wasn’t,” beganJessie trying to be brave, but now that she wasin the safe harbor of her mother’s arms, feelingthat she could not keep back the tears. “I triedto make Adele stop, and not go out of sight, butshe just would and would go further and further.She was bent and determined to go as far as shecould, and I was afraid to let her go off by herself,and yet I knew it wasn’t right for us to bedriving out of sight. I truly didn’t know what[155]to do, mother. She wouldn’t let me drive nor getout nor anything and she wouldn’t go back, so allI could do was to sit still. Then she drove biasacross the railroad truck, and the wheel caught,and we were tipped out. I fell down into somebushes and got an awful bruise. Just see.” Shedisplayed a large black and blue surface to hermother.

“Why, you poor child, that certainly is a bruise.I must bathe it after a while. But now go onwith your story.” Mrs. Loomis’s hands trembledas she held Jessie closer.

“Then,” continued the little girl, “when Icame to my senses I didn’t see Adele at first, butI saw Dapple Gray standing quite still by therailroad track. A cart-wheel was off and thecart was tipped down the bank. But wasn’tDapple Gray good not to move?”

“He was indeed, but oh, my little daughter, Idare not think what might have happened. Supposea train had been coming along.”

“One did whistle. It was a freight train, Ithink, but it must have passed before we gotthere. Well, I picked myself up and found Adelesitting there crying about her arm. She has[156]broken it, mother, but we didn’t know it thenand there wasn’t any house nearer than Ezra’s soI went there.” She hesitated for a moment beforegoing on. “It was so much nearer not togo across the foot-bridge, so I went the otherway.”

“Yes, I did. I knew that perhaps I ought not,but it would save time, you see. I did getawfully dizzy just in the middle, but I shut myeyes and said,

and presently I felt all right, so I got over safelyand found Ezra—oh, dear, he hasn’t had his supper.Isn’t that too bad!—and Kitty washed myface and fixed me up while Ezra and Mark wentfor Adele and took her to the doctor. Then theystopped for me and we all took Adele home andthen Ezra brought me.”

“My darling child, what a dreadful time youhave had,” exclaimed Mrs. Loomis.

“I haven’t told any one but you about Adele,mother, truly I haven’t. I never said to any one[157]that it was her fault. Could I help it happening?What ought I to have done?”

Mrs. Loomis was silent for a moment. “It wasa very hard position for a little girl, so hard thatI do not see how I can consent to your beingthrown with so wilful a child as Adele. I amafraid for the consequences.”

“Oh, mother!” There were surprise and regretin Jessie’s tones. “Am I never to play withher again, poor Adele! And am I never to go tothe yellow house? Not for lessons or anything?Oh, mother!”

“I shall have to think it over, dear, and havea talk with your father before we can decide. Itis a very serious matter for us to have our onlydear little girl placed in such danger as you werein to-day. So far as you were concerned I reallydo not see how you can be blamed, and you triedto be brave and noble for Adele’s sake, but wemust make it impossible for such a thing to happenagain. Now, come down and have somesupper, and then I think you’d better go to bed,for it has been a very exciting day for you.There will be no lessons to-morrow and you’d betternot get up very early.” She did not say that[158]she still felt anxious lest Jessie had suffered morefrom the accident than at once appeared.

The next morning Jessie woke up feeling stiffand sore, and was glad when Max came up withher breakfast. He had added some ripe persimmonsto her bill of fare and was so kind and solicitousthat Jessie quite enjoyed the reputation ofinvalid. Walter, too, poked his head in the doorand asked how she was feeling, blundering out ahalf apology by saying, “Why didn’t you tell afellow what was the matter when you came in?”Then he tossed a little pale pink rose on the bedand ran away. The rose was the last of the seasonand he had found it braving the frost whichhad sweetened the persimmons. Minerva, also,came up with a plate of tiny hot biscuits whichshe had baked especially for the little girl.

Later in the day Max was sent over to inquirehow Adele was, and brought back the report thatshe was doing very well but had had a feverishnight. By the time Max had returned Jessie hadfound bed rather a tiresome place and so hadbegged to be allowed to get up and come down.

Her father looked her over, asked many questionsand finally decided that the big bruise was[159]her worst hurt and that she could go out and inas she pleased. “Run out-of-doors all you wantto,” he said, “but don’t get tired out,” so Jessieavailed herself of this permission and concludedto go hunt up the boys.

She found them in the barn amusing themselveswith Eb. He had learned to say, “Hallo!” andwas walking back and forth on a beam, cockinghis eye and looking down at the boys below.

“He’s a funny fellow,” said Max as Jessie camein. “I’d like to take him back to school. We’regoing Monday. Carl is all right, they say.”

“I’m sure I don’t know,” said Walter. “AskMax. He is the walking dictionary.”

“I never saw a plum as black as Ebon is,” saidJessie, stroking the shining feathers of the birdwho had flown down and was sitting on her wrist.

“Well, I suppose plums could be black,” saidJessie persuaded that Max knew what he wastalking about.

“Look at Eb pecking at your buttons, Jess,”said Walter. “He has one almost off.”

Jessie wore a red jacket whose bright buttonspleased Ebon’s fancy. “He is getting to be agreat mischief,” she said. “He tried to carry offmother’s thimble yesterday. Go ’long, Eb. Go[161]pretend you are a chicken or something. Max,will you go with me to Effie Hinsdale’s to get mykitten? It is big enough now, and if I am not togo to Adele’s any more I shall need the kitten.”

“Let’s go with her,” proposed Walter. “Thenwe can see Jack and some of the other boys.We’ll go, Jess.”

Walter was very amiable to-day, Jessie thought.He really loved his little sister, and the fact thatshe had been in great danger the day beforemade him realize what it would be to lose her.

“We might get both kittens,” said Jessie,“and then we could leave Adele’s for her on ourway home. She will be so glad to have it nowthat she has a broken arm and no one to play with.”

“Do you suppose her father will sell DappleGray?” said Walter. “I wish our father couldbuy him.”

“Adele would feel awfully to have him sold,”said Jessie. “Oh, dear!” she drew a long sigh.

“Nothing much. I was only thinking what apity it is that things can’t always go right.”

“I don’t see what possessed you two to go offthat way,” said Walter reading her thoughts.

[162]“I don’t either,” returned Jessie turning away.“I’m going up to the house now to get a basketfor the kittens.”

“I don’t believe she had a thing to do with it,”said Max to his brother when Jessie was out ofhearing. “I’ll bet it was the Hallett girl thatwanted to have her way, and Jess won’t tell onher.”

“That’s pretty decent of Jess then,” said Walter,“and it was pretty fine of that pony not tobolt when the wheel came off. I’ll tell you apony like that is worth having. Ezra said hestood as still as a post till they led him away.”

“But he’ll not let those two kids go drivingoff by themselves again,” remarked Walter withthe superiority of his years, which were but twomore than Jessie’s.

Jessie with her two brothers made the visit tothe Hinsdales, and Jessie bore away the graykitten in triumph, but her pleasure was marredby finding that the black kitten had been givento a cousin of the cook’s, so there was none forAdele.

[163]“I am so sorry,” said Effie, “but Adele shallhave first choice of the next batch.”

“I am so sorry,” repeated Effie, “and if therewere one left she should have it, but we never takethe last one from Tippy, you see; that wouldn’tbe right, and yours is the last one left to give.”

Jessie hugged her own furry darling to her,and, the boys having called out that theycouldn’t wait any longer, she was obliged to jointhem, but all the way home she was strugglingwith a problem. Ought she to give up the graykitten to Adele? Poor Adele had no brothersand no mother, and, if Jessie must give her up,she would have no playmate. Although Adelehad been the means of getting them both intoserious trouble, Jessie felt the sorrier for heron account of her very naughtiness, and somehowcould only think of her friend as she was inher most charming moods. When she chose,Adele could be the most fascinating of companions,and Jessie believed that her love was verygenuine, so the more she thought of it the moreshe felt that she ought to give up the kitten.

[164]However, she decided not to make up her mindright away, and in the meantime she need notlet Adele know that the gray kitten had beentaken away from Effie’s. But while she wasweighing the matter in her own mind came anote from Adele that settled the question. Itarrived the next morning, and was the outcomeof a visit from Effie who had literally let thecat out of the bag when she went to see howAdele was. The note ran thus:

At the end was a tear-stained postscript whichread: “I did love you. I did, I did.”

Evidently Adele was in one of her worst[165]moods and was feeling very remorseful and unhappy.This Jessie knew, but at the same timeshe was indignant that Adele should still harpupon Polly’s wickedness. Of course it was veryabsurd for her to say such things, for how couldPolly steal anything? Yet the note quite decidedJessie not to give up the gray kitten, andher pity for Adele suffered a change.

It was some time before the two little girlsmet, for Mrs. Loomis could not make up her mindto allow Jessie to go over to the yellow house,while Miss Betty and Miss Eloise appreciated thefact that there was reason for hard feelingsagainst Adele, and moreover thought that nothingwould make the little sinner realize her misdoingmore than such a punishment as a separationfrom Jessie. Mrs. Loomis had not failed toget daily reports of Adele’s progress and senther over many dainties while she was in bed, sothat Adele’s remorse was all the greater.

Jessie answered the note by saying she wasvery sorry about the kitten, but she did not referto Peter Pan nor to Playmate Polly. For awhole week she was obliged to spend her timewith her old companions, for the boys returnedto school as expected, so Eb and the gray kittenwere a great source of solace. Eb took a great[170]fancy to Cloudy, and it was very funny to seehim, with outspread wings, hopping after theprancing kitten who was in no way afraid of him,and who would give him little impertinent dabswhen he came too near. He infinitely preferredCloudy to the chickens.

Finally when a week had gone by, and Jessie,who had avoided the brook for some days, wasagain playing with Peter Pan and PlaymatePolly, she looked across the little stream to see awistful pair of dark eyes gazing at her. “Oh,Adele!” she cried, “are you able to come outagain?”

A flashing smile changed the expression ofAdele’s face. “I was so afraid you wouldn’tspeak to me,” she exclaimed. “I can’t comeover, for I am trying awfully hard to be good.Can’t you come to this side?”

“I’m afraid not,” replied Jessie slowly, “butperhaps if each stays on her own side we canhave some sort of play and won’t be disobedienteither.”

“I think that will be lovely,” cried Adele.“What can we play? I can use only my rightarm, you know.”

[171]“Will it be a long time before you can use theother?” asked Jessie interestedly.

“Not so very, very long. The doctor says it isdoing very well indeed, but oh, Jessie, it has beenawful without you.”

“No, not yet. Aunt Betty hasn’t said anythingabout that, and—and,” the tears came toher eyes, “if you are not there I shall hate lessonsworse than ever. I was getting so I didn’tmind them.”

“I suppose your mother thinks I am too wickedfor you to play with,” remarked Adele after anawkward pause.

“Well,—not exactly,” Jessie wondered howshe could explain, “but you see she is afraid we’llget into some mischief.”

“I know, I know,” returned Adele. “I supposeI am very wicked, but I shall never want tobe good if we can’t be friends.”

Jessie pondered for a moment over this speech.It made her feel a great responsibility. Shewondered if her mother knew that Adele was indanger of becoming very, very wicked, if it would[172]make any difference in her decision about theirfriendship. Certainly it was a subject thatneeded to be discussed, and it should be donethat very night when Jessie and her mother hadtheir last little talk before Mrs. Loomis kissed herdaughter good-night. For the present it wouldbe best not to talk about it, and so she said, “I’lltell you what we can do; we can send boats backand forth to each other. You can stay on oneend of the log and I will stay on the other.”

Jessie thought there could be no harm in doingthat upon strictly neutral ground. “But wemustn’t stay there,” she concluded.

“Oh, no, we won’t stay there,” agreed Jessie.So they proceeded to the middle of the log thatspanned the brook, fervently kissed one another,and then retreated each to her own side.

“I’ll get some chips,” said Jessie, “and throwsome over to you. We ought to have somestring, too. Oh, I know where there is some; inthe grotto I had a little ball of it the other day,and I put it there to keep it safe.”

“Is the grotto just the same?” asked Adele[173]wistfully. “I should so love to see it. I wish Icould come over just for a minute. Do youthink I might?”

Jessie shook her head decidedly. “No, I don’tthink you ought. Of course I’d love to haveyou, but it would be disobeying; even doing itonce would be disobeying.”

“Yes, it is,” sighed Jessie, “but when we aresure a thing is wrong we ought not to do it.Sometimes you aren’t quite sure, and sometimesyou forget. Forgetting is my worst sin,” sheadded solemnly.

“I don’t know what mine is, my very worst, Imean. When I begin to think about them I amafraid to go to bed at night.”

“Oh! Mother always——” began Jessie andthen she remembered that there was no motherto whom Adele could unburden her conscienceand from whom she could receive loving adviceand comfort. She therefore changed the subjectquickly. “I am going to get the string and thechips,” she said, “and I will send you over a loadof persimmons. Do you like them? I brought[174]some with me this morning. They are sogood now that we have had frost. I don’tsuppose I can send more than one or two at atime.”

Adele was delighted at the prospect of receivingsuch a valuable cargo which by dint of along switch Jessie managed to pilot safely overto a spot where Adele could reach it. The secondexpedition was not so successful, however, butwas lost in the raging torrent before it was half-wayacross. When a vessel is only six incheslong it is very hard to navigate among the whirlpoolsof an uncertain stream. Nevertheless atleast half a dozen persimmons reached the othershore and were duly consumed by the person towhom they were consigned.

“There will be chestnuts pretty soon,” saidJessie. “I shouldn’t wonder if there were somenow. We might go and get some. Oh, I forgotthey are on this side. Never mind, I will getSam to gather some and to-morrow I can sendyou over a lot. I can put them in a basket andtie the basket on a long pole and in that way Ican reach them over to you. Oh, I wonder ifthe boys took all those they gathered. I am going[175]to the barn to see, and if they didn’t I’llbring all I can. Just wait a minute.”

She ran off to the barn and pretty soon cameback. She stopped on the way to put somethingin the grotto, and then went on to the brookwith a small covered basket. “I’d better tie iton this pole,” she said, “for it might fall off. It isfull of chestnuts. When you have emptied themsend the basket back to me, and I will put somethingelse in it.”

“What will you put in it?” asked Adele watchingJessie tie the basket securely to the pole.

By going upon the log she was able to reachfar enough so that Adele could get the basketwhich was unfastened and sent back after it hadbeen emptied of its contents. “I think you werelovely to send me all these,” said Adele delightedly.

“Oh, we shall have plenty more,” Jessie toldher. “Sam says there are lots down in the bigfield. You shall have some of those, too. Nowbe very careful when you untie the basket thistime. It isn’t for you to keep always, but onlyfor a little while.”

[176]While Adele was puzzling over this, Jessiewent off to the grotto from which she abstractedsomething. She kept her back to Adele, andwas some time in getting the basket settled tosuit her. “I am just crazy to see what it is,” saidAdele excitedly.

Jessie laughed and this time went further outupon the log carrying the pole very carefully andreaching it out to where Adele stood at the otherend of the log. “Go a little further away whenyou open the basket,” she suggested, and Adele,wondering, obeyed.

She opened the lid of the basket and peeped in.“Oh!” she cried, “how lovely!”

“He has only come for a visit,” said Jessiehurriedly. “His name is Cloudy, you know. Ithought you might like to see him.”

Jessie watched her with a serious countenance.Presently she said rather breathlessly, “Wouldyou like to call him half yours? I don’t believeI could give him to you altogether, but we mightgo shares, you know.”

Adele sat down with the kitten in her lap.[177]“Jessie Loomis, I think you are the dearest girlthat ever lived,” she said earnestly, “and I shouldlove to come over there and hug you, but I won’t,because I must be good. No, I won’t let yougive me even half the kitten, but I do love tohave him come over for a visit. See, he is sleepy.Shall I put him back in the basket and let himhave a nap?”

“He has just had a big saucer of milk,” saidJessie, “but he is very playful most of the time.You might let him have a little nap, and I willfind something else to send over to you.”

“No, let me send something this time; youhave done it all,” said Adele. “I’ll go up to thehouse in a minute and get something. Wouldyou mind if I took Cloudy to show to Aunt Bettyand Miss Eloise? I won’t let anything happen tohim and I’ll bring him right back.”

“Of course you may take him,” Jessie consentedgenerously. And carrying the basketsteadily, Adele sped away.

She was not gone very long and when shecame back she brought a small paper bag of cakesand another of candies which were promptly despatchedacross the watery way to Jessie; but[178]as Cloudy was asleep in the basket the little bagsthemselves were tied on the pole and were transportedin that way.

“Aunt Betty said Cloudy was lovely,” saidAdele, “and he behaved beautifully. I told herhow generous you offered to be, and she sent herlove to you.”

“She wasn’t there. Aunt Betty said she hadgone somewhere, but she didn’t say where. Iasked Aunt Betty if she thought papa wouldbring me a kitten from the city, and she said hewas going to bring me a big dog in place ofDapple Gray. I’d love a big dog.”

“He’s been sent away,” said Adele in a lowvoice. “Papa said as long as I couldn’t betrusted that I couldn’t have him to drive till Iwas old enough to have common sense, and so hehas sent him to my cousin till my sense growsenough for me to have him again. Do you supposecommon sense does grow?”

“I think it must,” returned Jessie thoughtfully,“for all grown people have it.”

“I don’t believe they do,” said Adele, “for I[179]have heard papa say ever so many times that So-and-Sohad not a grain of common sense, and So-and-Sowould be a big man, too.”

“Well, maybe they get it and then lose it,”replied Jessie, “like some persons do their hair.Some persons have a great deal, and others arequite bald, you know, like Dr. Sadtler.”

This seemed a reasonable conclusion and Adeleaccepted it. “Well,” she said, “I hope if I everdo get my common sense that it will be nice andthick and long like Miss Eloise’s hair.”

“Is your cousin a little girl?” asked Jessie returningto her thoughts of Dapple Gray.

“No, he is a little boy, and he has been veryill, so papa said it would be a great comfort tohim to have a little pony like that.”

“Maybe he will be strong and well again bythe time my common sense gets here,” saidAdele. “I hope that won’t be so very long.”

“I hope so, too,” replied Jessie, thinking moreof Dapple Gray than of Adele’s development.

[180]“Cloudy is waking up,” said Adele. “I’dbetter send him back to you.”

“Tie the basket on very strongly,” said Jessie,“so it can’t fall in the water.”

But though Adele tied the basket securelyenough, she was not quite so certain of her ownfooting, her useless arm causing her to lose herbalance, and in regaining it she allowed the poleto drop so far that the basket was dipped into thewater, though fortunately not so far that Cloudyreceived more wetting than gave him two drippingpaws.

“Oh, dear, I am so relieved,” said Adele. “Ithought he was drowned. Why am I alwaysdoing such dreadful things?”

“You couldn’t help it,” Jessie assured her.“You have only one arm, you see, and it wasvery hard to manage that long pole.” She driedCloudy’s paws on her handkerchief and then cuddledhim under her jacket. “I think I shall haveto carry him up to the house,” she said, “for hemight take cold. Besides, I am sure it must benearly dinner time.”

“We have had a perfectly lovely time,” returnedAdele. “I was so miserable last night[181]when I went to bed, and I cried myself tosleep.”

“Why, you see Dapple Gray went away yesterdayafternoon, and I felt so lonely when Ithought I couldn’t have you or him either. I amso glad you came down to the brook this morning.Will you come again this afternoon?”

“Of course I shall tell her. I tell her everything,and you know we have minded exactly,for neither one of us has crossed the brook.Mother never said I couldn’t talk to you; sheonly said I was not to go over to your place.”

“And Aunt Betty said I mustn’t go to yourplace, so we really have minded them, haven’twe?”

“Good-bye,” responded Adele. And both littlegirls went off feeling very virtuous.

[182]Jessie did not delay in telling her mother allabout the morning’s meeting. “Do you mind,mother?” she asked.

“No,” answered her mother. “I don’t thinkI do in the least. I see that you both meant tobe obedient, and I think the hard lesson Adelehas had promises to do her a great deal of good.”

“I feel so sorry for her, oh, so sorry,” saidJessie thoughtfully. “She cried herself to sleeplast night because she was so lonely. If she hadhad you, mother, to tuck her up and kiss hergood-night and to make her feel comfortable inside,as you do me after I have been naughty, shewouldn’t have felt so.”

“I think she loves me very much,” said Jessie,“and she did just as I told her was right thismorning. She never said one word about Pollyor Peter Pan, either. Don’t you think I can befriends with her again, mother?”

“I think you can, for I am sure that youcan do a great deal for her. It is evident thatshe has never been used to giving her confidencesto her aunt, and so far, Miss Eloise has not been[183]able to win them. I think Miss Eloise will intime, and meanwhile we must do all we can.Miss Eloise was here this morning, dearie.”

“Was she? Then that is why she was not athome when Adele took Cloudy up to show her.What did she say, mother?”

“She said a great many things, and some thingsshe said made me decide to let you begin your lessonsagain, but I would rather you did not spendtoo much time at the yellow house. If you gothere in the morning, that will be enough, and inthe afternoon it will be better for Adele to comehere to play with you. I think it is getting toocold to play by the brook, but there is the atticwhere you can be perfectly safe. I will haveone end cleared for you, and you can have allyour playthings up there.” Jessie threw herarms around her mother’s neck. “You are justthe dearest mother in the world,” she cried. “Iwish Adele had one exactly like you. May I justgo down to the brook a few minutes this afternoonand tell her, and may I bring her back withme?”

[184]“Just one thing more,” said Jessie. “Do youmind if I stay long enough to shut up PeterPan’s house for the winter? It won’t take long.”

Lessons began again the next day, and thistime continued without interruption until theholidays. It would not be quite true to say thatthere were never any more tantrums, but it is afact that they were less violent, and occurred lessfrequently. Adele really was trying to improve,and if Jessie herself once in a while had whatAdele called “the pouts” and always mockedand made fun of her, Jessie was ashamed tocontinue them for very long, for she hated to bemade fun of. The two had their little quarrels,to be sure, and sometimes did not speak for asmuch as a whole day, but night usually broughtregret and the next morning each would be eagerto make up.

One day Jessie coming home from school foundher mother counting the silver. “Jessie,” shesaid, “do you remember taking any of thesesmall teaspoons at any time?”

“Why no, mother,” returned Jessie. “I always[188]have a kitchen spoon, you know, and Ihaven’t had one of those for a long time, notsince that day I had the marmalade down by thebrook.”

“I don’t see where they can have gone,” saidMrs. Loomis. “There are two missing, and Iam sure they were all here last week. Minervais very careful and I don’t think she could possiblyhave thrown them out. You are quite surethat you and Adele have not had them up in theattic?”

Jessie trudged up to the attic and searchedamong the playthings, but there were no spoonsto be seen. She went back to her mother.“They are not there,” she said. “Adele and Ihaven’t had anything but dolls’ parties up there,and then we used the spoons that belong to theplay tea-set.”

[189]“But I have counted them since they wentback to school, and they were all here. I havelooked everywhere I can think of, and so hasMinerva. They are never taken to the kitchenexcept to be washed, and the only person whohas been along is that old peddler who comeswith tins sometimes. I have always thoughthim an honest old soul, as peddlers go, but I canthink of no one else.”

“I don’t believe it was the peddler,” said Jessie.“He has been coming here for a long time,and he is always very nice and kind. He gaveme a ring with a blue set in it one day becausehe said he liked little girls, and that he once hada little daughter about my age who died. I amsure it couldn’t be the peddler.”

“It doesn’t seem to me so either,” returnedMrs. Loomis, “but where are the spoons?”

Jessie shook her head, and the loss remained amystery, for no amount of searching broughtthem to light. It even became more and moremystifying, for in a few days a little coffee-spoonwas missing. It was a souvenir spoonwhich had been sent to Mrs. Loomis by hersister, and had been left on Mrs. Loomis’s[190]dressing bureau after the box containing it wasopened.

“This is more and more perplexing,” said Mrs.Loomis, “for I know positively that I left it inmy room, and who in the world could go upthere without my knowledge?”

This was the last spoon taken, and althoughthe matter was not forgotten it was after a whiledropped, all concluding that in some unexplainedway the spoons had fallen behind the surbase orthrough a crack in the floor. This might explainthe disappearance of the teaspoons, forthere was a large crack in the kitchen floor nearthe fireplace, but it could not account for thecoffee-spoon. “I’ll have that board in thekitchen taken up in the spring,” said Mr. Loomis.“We don’t want to take the stove down now,and no doubt you will find the other in yourroom somewhere when the spring cleaning isdone.” So the matter rested.

When Jessie told Adele about the loss she declaredthat Playmate Polly had taken them. Itwas her way to charge Playmate Polly with allsorts of evil traits, and the two little girls quarreledupon this subject oftener than any other,[191]absurd as it was. If Adele wanted to teaseJessie she had but to say something disagreeableabout Playmate Polly, and Jessie’s angerwould rise, so that it finally became as a red ragto a bull, and the more Adele teased the more Jessieresented it.

They seldom played by the brook now, but theattic was a great source of pleasure. It was wellheated by a register, so there was no danger thatthe children should take cold. A set of shelveson one side made a fine playhouse, and Sam hadmade a low table of just the proper height. Itwas a rough sort of affair, but served its purpose.The legs of two old chairs were sawed down tosuit the children and a bit of old carpet wasspread upon the floor, so they considered that theplayroom was finely furnished. Minerva put upa little white curtain at the window, and wouldalways remember them on baking days with alittle pie, a pan of tiny rolls, or some small cakes,so that Saturday was feast day as well as holiday.

One Saturday the two children were sitting atthe table coloring some pictures in a couple ofold magazines. Mr. Hallett had brought themeach a small paint box the night before and they[192]took this first opportunity of trying their powers.Cloudy, attired in the long white frock belongingto Jessie’s baby doll, was asleep in an improvisedcrib made of a small stool turned upside down.He seemed perfectly satisfied and was having agood nap. Charity sat by his side in the characterof nurse, and Peter Pan was sitting in a swingwhich hung from the rafters.

“I tried red,” said Jessie, “but it doesn’t govery well. It is kind of thick and messy looking.I believe I will try this yellow.” They workedaway for a few moments, very much absorbed intheir painting, but they were interrupted by afaint mew from the crib. “The baby is wakingup,” said Jessie, “and he can’t walk about verywell in that long frock. I shall have to take itoff, I suppose, so he can run about.”

“I know he does, and I can put it on againafter a while, but mother says I have no right tomake him uncomfortable, and to keep him fromplaying when he wants to, so it will have to come[193]off, and when he gets sleepy I can put it on again.Oh, what’s that?”

Adele ran to the window and drew aside thecurtain. “Why, it’s Eb,” she exclaimed. “Heis pecking at the window. He wants to come in.Shall I open the window, Jessie?”

“Why, yes. It won’t do any harm to let himstay with us. I wonder how he found his way.You might leave the window open, Adele. It isreal warm to-day and then he can go out whenhe wants to.”

“No, but he could fly as high as the smokehousedoor. It is open, you see, and then hecould fly on the roof, and from there to thebranch of that big tree. He could walk alongthe branch, you see, and get up here.”

“So he could, quite easily, and I suppose thatis the way he came. It is the first time he hasfound us. See how pleased he is,” for Eb waswalking about in the most insinuating manner,dipping and curtseying and making enticing little[194]sounds. “Don’t let him drink the paint water,Adele; it might make him ill. No, Eb, you can’thave that,” for Eb, attracted by the bright colorsin the box, was trying to peck at them. Jessieshut her box, and Adele did likewise. Then Ebspied the kitten and sidled up to him. The girlswatched the two in their funny antics untilthey heard Minerva calling at the foot of thestairs.

Jessie ran down to her, and presently cameback with a little apple pie which she set on thetable. “Doesn’t it look good?” she said.“Shall we eat it now?”

“I brought up some milk for the kitten,” saidJessie, “so he can sit on one side the table andEb on the other. I have a stale crust up herethat I will soak in the milk and give to Eb. Hewill like that.” So the funny company sat downtogether, the kitten perched on a high box witha small saucer of milk before him, Eb with hissoaked crust on a piece of pasteboard, and thetwo girls, each with half a pie. Eb was the firstto finish his meal and then he flew down to seewhat other entertainment the place afforded. He[195]went prying around for a few minutes before hespied Adele’s paint brush which she had neglectedto put away. The piece of bright metal at oneend attracted him and in a moment he was uponthe window sill with the brush in his beak. Jessiespied him just as he was about to take flight.

Adele, who was nearest, jumped up, but Ebwas too quick for her and was beyond reach beforeshe could get to him. “He’s gone,” shecried. “He has gone off with my brush. Howshall we get it?”

“You stay here and watch him,” said Jessie,“and I will go down and see if I can grab him beforehe gets away with it.”

She ran downstairs while Adele watched fromthe window. Still carrying the brush, Ebwalked across the roof to the limb of the treewhich overhung one side of the house. He tooka short flight to the limb, walked along it, flewto the smokehouse and stood there. The door,however, was shut by now, and he was not surethat he could venture to fly down from the roof.Now was Jessie’s time. She ran to the kitchen.

[196]“Give me some dough or corn bread, or something,quick, Minerva,” she said.

Minerva picked up a piece of corn bread froma plate and gave it to her. “What in the worldis the matter with the child?” she said as Jessiescurried out. She followed the little girl towhere she stood crumbling the corn bread intoone palm. “Well, I declare,” she said. “Whathas he got now?”

“Adele’s paint brush,” Jessie told her. “Come,Eb. Come get some nice supper.”

Eb cocked his head to one side, and regardedthe outstretched hand for a moment, then hedropped the paint brush and flew down to Jessie’sshoulder. The paint brush rolled down from theroof to the ground. Scattering the crumbs beforehim, Jessie set Eb down, and ran back,stopping under the window from which Adelewas looking and calling up to her, “Here it is.I made him drop it.”

In a few minutes Adele appeared with Cloudyin her arms. “I shut the window,” she said. “Itis getting dark up there, and I suppose I shall[197]have Angelina coming for me in a few minutes.I am glad you were able to make Eb give up thebrush. What do you suppose he was going to dowith it? Isn’t he getting to be a thief?”

“He certainly is,” said Jessie. “I suppose hewas going to hide it somewhere.”

“I’m sure I don’t know. Where do you supposehe would hide things, Minerva?”

“Bless me, I’m sure I can’t tell. Well, there,I shouldn’t be the least surprised if he was theone that stole those spoons. It is a wonder noneof us thought of that. It’s only lately he’s takento carrying off things, though. He tried to getmy thimble off my finger yesterday.”

“I’m going right in to tell mother about him,”said Jessie, “and maybe we can find the spoonsif he has hidden them.”

Minerva followed the two children into thesitting-room, where Mrs. Loomis was told of thesuspicion which rested upon Eb. “Well, I declare,”she said. “I verily believe he is thethief. We must watch him, and see where hegoes. Keep your eyes open, children, and perhapswe can trace him.”

[198]However, Eb was much too sly to be discoveredat once, and despite all their efforts theycould not find out where he made a hiding-placefor his treasures. He was even given the chanceto carry away certain articles, but as soon as hesaw that he was followed he would drop what hecarried and would fly off with a caw of derision.“He is the cleverest creature I ever saw,” declaredMinerva. “There is no catching him napping.I let him carry off a piece of my redworsted this morning, and would you believe it, hedropped it on the step as soon as I opened the door.”

But as if he knew himself suspected, Eb continuedto behave with such secrecy that no onecould say that he was really the thief, and finallyJessie declared that she didn’t believe he wasguilty at all, and she told Adele so.

“No, I don’t believe it is he,” Adele answeredwith a gleam of mischief in her eye. “I have alwaysbelieved it is Polly. I saw Eb sitting onher head whispering things in her ear one day,when I was coming to your house, so maybe heputs her up to it.”

[199]“You are so silly, Adele,” returned Jessie impatiently,and turning away.

Adele ran after. “Don’t get mad, Jessie.Please don’t. I was only fooling, but it is suchfun to pretend things about Polly. If you won’tget mad, I will tell you a secret; a very greatsecret. Say you aren’t mad.”

“I’m not so very mad,” Jessie answered, theprospect of a secret being more than she couldwithstand.

The children were in the attic snuggled nearthe heater, for it had suddenly grown quite cold.“Guess who the secret is about,” said Adele.

Adele looked grave. “No, not yet, thoughpapa said the other day that he was very sure Icould have him some time, if I kept on improving.I’ll tell you who the secret is about and then youcan guess some more. It is about Miss Eloise.”

“Is she going away?” asked Jessie in alarm,for she had become very fond of her teacher.

“Don’t you? I do. She might be going awayfrom our house but not from the neighborhood.”

“Well,” agreed Adele, “it is this way. MissEloise is engaged to be married to a professor orteacher or something. He has been here to seeher, and, what do you think? If they can finda house big enough near here they are going totake it and have a school next year, and I shallgo to it. Papa is so pleased, because he says hewill never have to send me away to school then.”

“Oh, the teachers won’t all be men,” saidAdele, “and I like Mr. Davis very much. So willyou, for of course you will go, won’t you?”

Jessie was thoughtful for a moment, thenpresently she cried, “I know. I know just theplace. It isn’t very far from here. We can seeit from the window, now that the trees are bare.[201]It is a great big white house with ever so manyrooms in it. Father knows all about it. It isthis side the railroad track, so I could go there.”

“Oh, come, let’s go tell Miss Eloise,” saidAdele with an eagerness which seemed to suggestthat perhaps the house would disappearover night. And the two sought Miss Eloisewithout delay.

“I’ve told Jessie your secret,” said Adelebursting in upon her teacher, “and she knowsexactly the house for you and Mr. Davis. Herfather can tell you all about it.”

Miss Eloise looked up from her embroidery, alittle flush mounting to her cheek. “What doyou think of my secret, Jessie?” she asked drawingthe little girl to her side.

“Then we surely must see about it. Is the[202]name of the place ‘The Beeches,’ and is it nearhere?”

“It is just beyond our place,” Jessie told her,“but the house hasn’t been lived in for a longtime. The man who owns it has gone abroadand wants to sell it. My father can tell you allabout it, for we have the keys at our house.”

“Then we must certainly see about it,” saidMiss Eloise, turning to Miss Betty. “That wouldjust suit, Betty, and I should rather be on thisside the railroad, for then we should be betweenAppledore and Fulton so we could control both.Thank you, Jessie, for coming to tell me. Ofcourse we shall not open our school till next fall,but if the house is out of repair it will take sometime to put it in order, and one should be in plentyof time for such things. Must you go now?”

“Yes, it is getting late,” said Jessie, “and Imustn’t be out after dark.”

“I hope you are bundled up warm,” said MissBetty, “for it is getting so cold.”

“I’ll run all the way,” said Jessie, “and thatwill keep me warm.” She made her adieux andstarted off, her thoughts full of Miss Eloise andher secret.

That winter had really come was made apparentthe next morning when a light fall ofsnow covered the ground. Jessie looked out ofher window and saw that Playmate Polly worea white hood and that a scarf of snow hung downon one side of her. “I think it looks ratherwell,” said Jessie to herself. “I wonder ifmother will let me go where I can see closer. Ihave never been to Polly’s in winter time. Iwish it were Saturday.”

She was so excited over the new snow that shecould scarcely wait till breakfast was over to godown the hill toward the brook. Mrs. Loomisconsented to her making a short call upon PlaymatePolly. “For I do so want to see her whitehood,” said Jessie, “and I will wear my rubbersso I shall not get my feet wet. If Adele comestell her I will be back in five minutes, or may Istay ten minutes, mother?”

She set off over the untrodden snow that laybetween the house and the fence, but beyondthis she discovered that some one had been beforeher, for there were footprints in the snow,queer little footprints that went on for a shortdistance and then stopped beginning again furtheron.

“Eb has been down to see Polly,” said Jessieto herself. She ran on leaving her own footprintsby the side of Eb’s and when she waswithin a little distance of the row of willows, shesaw that Eb was sitting on Polly’s head, andwas, as Adele said, whispering in her ear. Jessiestood still for a moment to watch him, andwhile she was looking suddenly he disappeared.Jessie was astonished. “Where in the worldhas he gone?” she exclaimed. “I saw him andthen I didn’t see him. I must go right there andask Polly about it.” She went on toward thetree and presently discovered that which had theappearance of a hood when she saw it from herwindow had now changed into a wreath uponPolly’s head. “I think that is very funny,” saidJessie.

[207]She went close to the tree and looked up, andwhile she was looking, out popped Eb’s blackhead from the centre of the wreath of snow. Atsight of Jessie he began to scold and repeat his“Hallo” a great many times. “I do believethere is a hole there,” said Jessie. “I neverknew that before, but then I am not tall enoughto see over the top of your head, Polly. That iswhy you have a wreath instead of a hood. Iwish I could see in.” She looked at Eb who wasstrutting uneasily about, and an idea came toher. “I do believe, Ebony Loomis,” she exclaimed,“that is where you hide things!”

Full of this discovery, she ran up to the barnwhere she saw Sam. “I wish you would bringa ladder, Sam,” she said. “I want to see if thereis a hole in that little tree. I believe it is whereEb hides his treasures.”

“I saw his tracks on the way down. First hewould walk a little and then he would fly, forthere were spaces between the tracks. When Igot down there I saw him sitting on the tree, andI believe he had something in his beak, though I[208]couldn’t see exactly. All of a sudden he wasn’tthere, but in a minute I saw his head pop up fromthe top of the tree.” Not for the world wouldshe have divulged to Sam that Playmate Pollywas really a person. He would never understandhow such a thing could be.

“I shouldn’t wonder if you was right,” saidSam. “I can’t go down just this minute, butafter a while I will go and look.”

“I wish you could go now,” said Jessie, “forI have got to go to school.”

“Wish I could,” Sam answered, “but I will gobefore you get back. I reckon if there is anythingthere it will stay. He ain’t likely to moveit.” Jessie was obliged to be satisfied with this,and knowing it was high time she was off to herlessons, she went up to the house for her books,stopping to tell her mother of what she suspectedEb. But there was not much time to discuss itthen, for it was getting late and she must hurryaway.

She found Adele in a high state of excitementover the arrival of the big dog her father hadpromised her. He was a beautiful collie, andalready had attached himself to his little mistress.[209]It is safe to say that lessons did not receive theattention they should that morning. Moreovereven Eb’s tricks were lost sight of in the presenceof the new pet. So Adele was not told of whatJessie had seen that morning.

Indeed it was not till after dinner that Jessieremembered that Sam was going to investigatethe top of Playmate Polly’s snow-wreathed head;and she hunted him up to find out what he haddiscovered. He was not at the barn where shefirst looked for him, but as she turned from thereshe heard a chop-chopping from the direction ofthe brook. What was Sam doing? She hurriedtoward the spot, and saw him with axe uplifted.She uttered one cry of dismay and the next minutePolly toppled over and lay prostrate on theground. She ran toward the fallen figure of herlate companion. “Oh, poor Polly,” she whisperedunder her breath, her eyes full of tears.

When she reached the place where PlaymatePolly had stood Sam was bending over a hollowstump. He looked up with a laugh. “You wasright,” he said. “Here’s that little black thief’streasure.” He put his hand into the stump anddrew forth the three spoons, a brass thimble, some[210]shining bits of glass, several bright buttons, and,last of all, Adele’s lost Peter Pan. “Well, Inever!” exclaimed Sam.

Jessie drew a long sigh. “Oh, Sam,” she saidtremulously, “why did you have to cut it down?”

“It wasn’t no good,” said Sam. “Hollow allthrough. Your father said it had best comedown, and then we could see what that rascalhad hid there.”

“But I liked her,” said Jessie sadly, feelingthat she had been the cause of Playmate Polly’sdownfall.

Sam looked at her curiously. “First time Iever heard a tree calledher,” he said.

Jessie looked at the chips scattered around, atPolly’s head from which her wreath had fallen.“Oh, dear! oh, dear!” she sighed.

“What’s the matter?” asked Sam. “Ain’tyou glad to get your doll baby back?”

“It isn’t mine; it’s Adele’s,” said Jessie.“Yes, I am very glad to get that. Oh, Sam!”she cried in alarm as she saw him with axe againuplifted, “you’re not going to chop her to pieces!”

Sam lowered the axe. “I thought I might aswell,” he said. “Make a little fire-wood.”

“Well, you’re a funny one all right,” said Samshouldering his axe. “Settle it with your father;’tain’t no odds to me.”

Jessie stood for a moment looking at the prostratePolly and then she turned and walkedslowly to the house, carrying with her the threespoons and the little scarlet-coated Peter Pan.She went into the sitting-room and laid thethings on the table. “Mother,” she said solemnly,“Playmate Polly is dead.”

Mrs. Loomis looked up from her sewing.“What on earth do you mean, daughter?” shesaid.

Jessie picked up the things she had laid on thetable. “Sam has felled her to the earth,” shesaid, “and he found these.”

Mrs. Loomis tried to hide a smile at Jessie’stragic manner. “What did he find?” she asked.

“My dear little girl,” said Mrs. Loomis, “you[212]mustn’t feel badly about an old hollow tree. Isuppose Sam had to cut it down in order to getat the things.”

“Yes, I suppose so,” returned Jessie, “but Idid like her so much. Will she have to bechopped up for fire-wood, mother? Sam was goingto do it, but I stopped him, and he said I mustsettle it with father. Do you suppose he willcare if she isn’t?”

“I don’t imagine he will care at all, for a littleold tree like that would be small loss.”

“I don’t like to talk to any one but you aboutPolly,” said Jessie after a pause. “Even Adelenever could understand.”

Mrs. Loomis kissed the rather woe-be-gone littleface. “Then, my darling,” she said, “I amvery sorry you have lost your Polly, and youmay rest assured that she shall stay just as shelies as long as you wish. I am very glad to getback the spoons, though I am sorry they couldnot have been discovered in another place.”

“I am glad to get back Adele’s doll, too. Here[213]she comes now, mother, and she has her lovelydog with her.”

Adele came in with a rush, her dog, which shehad named Rob, frisking after her. “Go out,Rob,” cried Adele. “Aunt Betty said I couldbring him if I promised he shouldn’t come in thehouse. His feet are all wet.” She closed thedoor after Rob, shutting him out on the porch,where he lay down to wait for her. “Why,where did you find my Peter Pan?” askedAdele whose quick eyes spied the doll first thing.

“Sam found it and the spoons in a hollow tree.It was Eb who took it and the spoons, too. Hehid them with some other things.”

“I knew it was Polly,” said Adele with alaugh. “I always said she had them.”

“Oh, Adele, don’t talk that way,” returnedJessie in a distressed voice. “Polly is dead.”

Adele looked at her for a minute to see if shereally were in earnest. “What do you mean?”she said.

“Sam had to chop her down to get at the things.They were down so deep he couldn’t reach them.”

“Oh,” said Adele, “I am sorry, Jessie, I trulyam, and I wish I had never said mean things[214]about her. I shall never, never, never, be so horridagain.”

Playmate Polly was allowed to lie where shehad fallen, and in time the green grass and floweringweeds grew up all around her and quite hidher from view. And the next year there was nothievish crow to hide away his spoils in hollowtrees. For with the spring came visitors of hisown kind, among them such a charming younglady crow as caused Eb to forsake his old friends,and he flew away with the flock to live a wildlife. Once Jessie passing along through the orchardheard something above her head cry out:“Hallo!” and she believed the black wings whichshe saw among the branches must belong to herold pet, and the next winter a pair of crows cameoften, when the snow was on the ground, to feedwith the chickens. Minerva never drove themaway, for she believed it was Eb and his matewho had returned to his familiar haunts, countingupon receiving hospitality.

Thus Jessie lost two of her companions, but astime went on she and Adele became closer friends,who were happy with Rob, Cloudy and the dolls.Before it was time to open the grotto again,[215]Adele had renamed her doll of the scarlet coat.“I shall call him Reddy,” she said to Jessie, whounderstood that on account of Playmate Pollyand the old quarrel, Adele wanted to be generous.

So Peter Pan had it all his own way, thoughhe often went to see Reddy in a fine cave thatJessie helped Adele make for him.

Early in June Miss Eloise left the yellow houseto be married, and one day, a couple of weeksafter, there was a great stir and bustle at “TheBeeches.” Mrs. Loomis, Miss Betty, Dr. and Mrs.Sadtler were all on hand to welcome home thebride and groom. Jessie and Adele were on thewatch for the carriage as it drove from the station.Adele was the first to spy it coming up theroad. “There they are!” she cried.

The two stood on the porch as Mr. and Mrs.Davis alighted. Adele was the first to rush forwardand thrust something into Mr. Davis’s arms.“This is for you,” she cried.

“And this is for you.” Jessie turned to Mrs.Davis and deposited in her arms a small blackkitten.

[216]Mr. Davis accepted the roly-poly puppy thatAdele had given him and turning to his wife, hesaid, “You know all along, Eloise, I have declaredwe must have a dog.”

“And I said no home could be complete withouta cat,” returned his wife laughing. “You aretwo dear children to supply our wants so soon,”she said to the little girls.

“Max and Walter are coming here to school,”Jessie announced. “Are you glad to be ourneighbors, Miss Eloise?”

“My dear, I am delighted. I didn’t realizewhat a charming old place this really was.What have you all been doing to it?” Shelooked around upon a well ordered garden, upona smoothly cut lawn, upon a freshly painted porchwhere boxes of flowers stood, and then she caughtsight of the group within doors who were standingto welcome her. “You dear people,” she saidholding out her hands. “How good you are tous, and how the whole place is changed. Whatfairy work is this?”

“You must ask these little girls,” said Mrs.[217]Loomis, smiling down at Jessie and Adele.“They put it into our heads, and said it was ashame for you to come home to a dingy oldhouse, to a neglected lawn and a flowerlessgarden, and so we thought, too. Therefore wehave all taken turns in seeing that things weredone as they should be. And now come in tosupper.”

“Supper?” Mrs. Davis looked at her husband.“And we looked forward to an empty house witha still emptier larder. We said we should haveto picnic for days till we could get the house inrunning order.” Still holding the kitten, she puther free arm around both little girls, and theywondered why her eyes should be full of tears.“We shall never feel like strangers here, Fred,”she said to Mr. Davis.

All summer long work went on in the bigwhite house till fall found it ready with classrooms,with a new gymnasium, with pretty sleepingrooms for the boarding pupils. And everyroom was filled, while the day scholars were nota few.

[218]Jessie and Adele started off together. Maxand Walter had already gone on ahead. Adelewas unusually thoughtful on the way. “Whatare you thinking of?” Jessie asked her. “Youare so quiet.”

“I was thinking about a lot of things,” wasthe reply. “I was thinking suppose papa hadnot found the yellow house for us to live in,then I should never have known you, Miss Eloisewould never have found ‘The Beeches,’ and Imight have been far away somewhere, just aslonely as I was before.”

“But you did come to the yellow house, yousee,” said Jessie, “and now we are friends andare always going to the same school.”

Max ahead of them called over his shoulder,“You two had better hurry up. We don’t wantto be late the first day.”

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I.	Up Hill and Down	9
II.	Playmate Polly	27
III.	The Neighbor of the Yellow House	43
IV.	Aunt Betty	61
V.	A New Pet	77
VI.	A Mystery	93
VII.	Taking Pills	111
VIII.	Dapple Gray	129
IX.	The Gray Kitten	149
X.	Across Water	167
XI.	Who Took the Spoons?	185
XII.	What Was Found Out	203

Movatterモバイル変換

The Project Gutenberg eBook ofPlaymate Polly

PLAYMATE POLLY

CONTENTS

CHAPTER I
Up Hill and Down

CHAPTER II
Playmate Polly

CHAPTER III
The Neighbor of the Yellow House

CHAPTER IV
Aunt Betty

CHAPTER V
A New Pet

CHAPTER VI
A Mystery

CHAPTER VII
Taking Pills

CHAPTER VIII
Dapple Gray

CHAPTER IX
The Gray Kitten

CHAPTER X
Across Water

CHAPTER XI
Who Took the Spoons?

CHAPTER XII
What Was Found Out

THE FULL PROJECT GUTENBERG LICENSE

Movatterモバイル変換

The Project Gutenberg eBook ofPlaymate Polly

PLAYMATE POLLY

CONTENTS

CHAPTER IUp Hill and Down

CHAPTER IIPlaymate Polly

CHAPTER IIIThe Neighbor of the Yellow House

CHAPTER IVAunt Betty

CHAPTER VA New Pet

CHAPTER VIA Mystery

CHAPTER VIITaking Pills

CHAPTER VIIIDapple Gray

CHAPTER IXThe Gray Kitten

CHAPTER XAcross Water

CHAPTER XIWho Took the Spoons?

CHAPTER XIIWhat Was Found Out

THE FULL PROJECT GUTENBERG LICENSE

CHAPTER I
Up Hill and Down

CHAPTER II
Playmate Polly

CHAPTER III
The Neighbor of the Yellow House

CHAPTER IV
Aunt Betty

CHAPTER V
A New Pet

CHAPTER VI
A Mystery

CHAPTER VII
Taking Pills

CHAPTER VIII
Dapple Gray

CHAPTER IX
The Gray Kitten

CHAPTER X
Across Water

CHAPTER XI
Who Took the Spoons?

CHAPTER XII
What Was Found Out