said Polly groaning within
herself as she thought of the wasted minutes, "and then you can see me
cut 'em, Van."

"Will you really," he said, delight coming all over his flushed face.

"Yes, I will," cried Polly, "wait a minute till I get some more cloth."
And she started for the door.

"Oh now, that's too bad!" said Jasper. "To have to cut more of those
tiresome old things! Van, let her off!"

"Oh no, I won't! I won't!" he cried in the greatest alarm, running up to
her as she stood by the door. "You did say so, Polly! You know you did!"

"Of course I did, Vanny," said Polly, smiling down into his eager face,
"and we'll have a splendid pair in just--one--minute!" she sang.

And so the sails were cut out, and the hems turned down and basted, and
tucked away into Polly's little work-basket ready for the sewing on the
morrow. And then Mr. King came in and took Jasper off with him; and the
two Whitney boys went up to mamma for a story; and Polly sat down in
mamsie's room to tackle her French exercise.

POLLY'S BIG BUNDLE

The room was very quiet; but presently Phronsie strayed in, and seeing
Polly studying, climbed up in a chair by the window to watch the birds
hop over the veranda and pick up worms in the grass beside the carriage
drive. And then came Mrs. Pepper with the big mending basket, and
ensconced herself opposite by the table; and nothing was to be heard but
the "tick, tick" of the clock, and an occasional dropping of a spool
of thread, or scissors, from the busy hands flying in and out among the
stockings.

All of a sudden there was a great rustling in Cherry's cage that swung
in the big window on the other side of the room. And then he set up a
loud and angry chirping, flying up and down, and opening his mouth as if
he wanted to express his mind, but couldn't, and otherwise acting in a
very strange and unaccountable manner.

"Dear me!" said Mrs. Pepper, "what's that?"

"It's Cherry," said Polly, lifting up her head from "Fasquelle,"
"and--oh, dear me!" and flinging down the pile of books in her lap on a
chair, she rushed across the room and flew up to the cage and began to
wildly gesticulate and explain and shower down on him every endearing
name she could think of.

"What is the matter?" asked her mother, turning around in her chair in
perfect astonishment. "What upon earth, Polly!"

"How could I!" cried Polly, in accents of despair, not heeding her
mother's question. "Oh, mamsie, will