bunch, having gained
courage to fix and state her price. Quite a number gave her more than
that sum, and she began to feel a very rich little girl, indeed.

More than half her stock was sold, when an old gentleman and a young
lady came along. The lady, as usual, was the first to admire the
bright bunches, she took two, the old gentleman giving Katie fifty
cents and telling her that "was right." He seemed a cross old man, but
still spoke pleasantly.

"What's your name, child?" he asked.

"Katie Wilson, sir," replied the little girl, faintly.

"Um! um! Come along Helen," said he, hastily, and hurried away.

These were the last of the excursion parties, except an elderly lady
having in charge a dozen children, all dressed alike; little ones from
a soldiers' orphan school, for whom some kind person had provided a
day's pleasure. They were tired and worn out with romping, and dragged
along slowly; they looked at Katie's bright face and longingly at the
pretty leaves in her basket. The girl's heart was touched; timidly she
held out a bunch to a little boy who half stopped in front of her, he
took it eagerly; in a moment the others were about her. By good
fortune, she had enough to give on to each and an extra bunch to the
lady.

With the thanks of these poor children in her heart, an empty basket
and a happy jingle in her pocket she ran nearly all the way home,
burst in on Bessie, put her arms about her neck and sobbed for
happiness.

When the elder sister at last succeeded in calming her, she told the
whole story of her afternoon's work.

Together they counted the money--three dollars and eighty-five
cents--just think of it!

If ever there was a happy, excited little girl, it was Katie that
night. She could not sleep or eat. When she _had to_ go to bed, she
lay awake long, long hours, thinking how _she_ would buy back the big
house, how mother should have doctors and every thing she needed, how
Bessie should stop teaching and have a horse and little carriage, and
pretty dresses, and a piano, like she used to, and how Robbie should
go to school and college and grow up to be a great man and finally be
President. She never thought of herself, except that _she_ was to do
all this, and when she fell asleep she dreamed the whole thing over
again, and that it had turned out just as she planned.

All through the excursion season Katie sold her leaves, and though she
never made as much as on the first day, yet when peop