mal gallows, in front. Suddenly the coach stopped, and was surrounded
by three men on horseback, armed with pistols, their faces hidden behind
black crape masks. The ladies screamed, the men turned pale and
trembled, the guard made a faint show of resistance, but was at once
overpowered; the driver looked on with apparent indifference while the
coach was ransacked.

Patty had nothing worth taking--neither watch, jewels, nor money; but
when asked by one of the men what she had, she held out the doll, almost
hoping that he might take it, but he only laughed loudly. In a short
time the coach was allowed to proceed on its way, Patty being the only
traveller who had not been robbed.

Very glad was Patty to see her uncle's kind face when the coach stopped
in London at the end of its journey, and great was the excitement when
it became known that they had been attacked by the way. When Patty told
the story of the highwaymen to her aunt, and how she had offered them
her doll, Aunt Martha gave a cry of horror.

"La, child; you were nearer the truth than you knew!" she said; and
taking a pair of scissors, she cut the stitches that held together the
rag body of the doll, and there fell out some golden guineas on the
table, that the farmer had sent to his sister to pay for his Patty while
she was in London.

Patty enjoyed her visit to London, and came home again quite safely, as
did the doll, which Patty asked if she might keep in remembrance of that
eventful journey.

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BIRTHDAYS.

Laura had a birthday last week, and asked some children to have tea with
her, and we went, but I don't think any of us enjoyed it one bit. Etty
and I went, and our governess, Miss Ashton, went too; and we were very
glad of that, for we like Miss Ashton, and she takes care of us, because
Etta isn't very strong. Laura has no brothers or sisters, poor thing! so
she doesn't know how to behave; and Miss Ashton tells us we ought to be
sorry for her, and so we are, only she needn't be _quite_ so
disagreeable.

Laura was very grandly dressed. She had a new cream muslin hat on, and a
frock with puffs and things on the sleeves, and all worked about in that
pretty pattern Etty likes so much. Then she had on a pale-green sash,
and thin bronze shoes, and white silk socks. You never saw anything so
silly! We went with Miss Ashton and Miss Morris--that's Laura's
governess--into a field