o they all had to
whirl back again as before. The consequence was that when the carriage
did come, nobody heard it.

Jasper, looking out, was considerably astonished to see, drawn up in
solemn array with their backs to the road, five children, who stood as
if completely petrified.

"What in the world!" he began, and called to Thomas to stop, whose
energetic "Whoa!" reaching the ears of the frozen line, caused it to
break ranks, and spring into life at an alarming rate.

"Oh, is she coming Jappy? Is she? Is she?" they all screamed together,
swarming up to the carriage door, and over the wheels.

"Yes," said Jasper looking at Polly.

At that, Phronsie made a little cheese and sat right down on the
pavement in an ecstasy.

"Get in here, all of you;" said Jasper merrily; "help Polly in first.
For shame Dick! don't scramble so."

"Dick always shoves," said Percy, escorting Polly up with quite an air.

"I don't either," said Dick; "you pushed me awful, just a little while
ago," he added indignantly.

"Do say awfully," corrected Van, crowding up to get in. "You leave off
your lys so," he finished critically.

"I don't know anything about any lees," said little Dick, who, usually
so good natured, was now thoroughly out of temper; "I want to get in
and go home," and he showed evident symptoms of breaking into a perfect
roar.

"There," said Polly, lilting him up, "there he goes! now--one, two,
three!" and little Dick was spun in so merrily that the tears changed
into a happy laugh.

"Now then, bundle in, all the rest of you," put in Mr. King, who seemed
to be in the best of spirits. "That's it; go on, Thomas!"

"When are they coming?" Polly found time to ask in the general jumble.

"In three weeks from to-morrow," said Jasper. "And everything's all
right, Polly! and the whole of them, Cherry and all, will be here then!"

"Oh!" said Polly.

"Here we are!" cried Van, jumping out almost before the carriage door
was open. "Mamma; mamma," he shouted to Mrs. Whitney in the doorway,
"the Peppers are coming, and the little brown house too!--everything and
everybody!"

"They are!" said Percy, as wild as his brother; "and everything's just
splendid! Jappy said so."

"Everything's coming," said little Dick, tumbling up the steps--"and the
bird--and--and--"

"And mamsie!" finished Phronsie, impatient to add her part--while Polly
didn't say anything--only looked.

Three weeks! "I can't wait!" thought Polly at first,