in the direction of Miss Salisbury, "told ye to set still. So
ye better set."

But Alexia craned her neck yet more, and called insistently, "Polly--oh,
Polly!"

Miss Anstice looked up from the bevy of girls she was settling in
another barge. "Alexia Rhys," she said severely, "you must be quiet; it
is impossible to get started unless all you girls are going to be
tractable and obedient."

"Miss Anstice,"--Alexia formed a sudden bold resolve,--"please come
here. I want you very much," she said sweetly.

Miss Anstice, pleased to be wanted very much, or indeed at all, left her
work, and went over to the front barge where Alexia was raging inwardly.

"Miss Anstice, I need Polly Pepper up next to me," said Alexia, "oh, so
much. She knows all about my arm, you know; her father fixed it for me.
Will you please have her come up here? Then if I should feel worse, she
could help me."

Miss Anstice peered here and there in her nearsighted fashion. "I don't
see Polly Pepper," she said.

"There she is; there she is," cried Alexia, trembling in every limb, for
her plan could not be said to be a complete success yet, and pointing
eagerly to the end of her barge; "she's the fourth from the door, Miss
Anstice. Oh, how lovely you are!"

Miss Anstice, quite overcome to be told she was lovely, and especially
by Alexia, who had previously given her no reason to suppose that she
entertained any such opinion, went with great satisfaction down the
length of the barge, and standing on her tiptoes, said very
importantly, "Polly Pepper, I want to place you differently."

So Polly, quite puzzled, but very obedient, crawled out from her seat,
where she was wedged in between two girls not of her set, who had been
perfectly radiant at their good fortune, and clambering down the steps,
was, almost before she knew it, installed up on the front row, by
Alexia's side.

"Oh Polly, what richness!" exclaimed that individual in smothered
accents, as Miss Anstice stepped off in much importance, and hugging
Polly. "I'm so glad my sling is on, for I never'd gotten you up here
without the old thing," and she giggled as she told the story.

"Oh Alexia!" exclaimed Polly, quite shocked.

"Well, I may get a relapse in it, you don't know," said Alexia coolly,
"so you really ought to be up here. Oh my goodness me! I forgot this
man," she brought up suddenly. "Do you suppose he'll tell?" She peered
around anxiously past Polly.

"Ef you'll set still, I w