gasped, as though alarmed at the
desperateness of the plunge they had taken. "I forgot everything else
when I saw you, but oh, there's such a lot to tell. Tom, where shall we
begin? You tell it all, will you?"

"I--I seem to have so much in my head I can't get anything out," laughed
Tom.

"We'll wait till we get home, then, p'raps it wouldn't be fair to hear it
all before Aunt Emma can. Charlie will be home, too, by the time we are.
He's been with the donkey-cart to take one of his pigs to Mr. Davis, and
he has taken a message about renting the little field. The rent is low,
and we could keep the horse there, and the pigs, too, sometimes. It would
be fine!"

Bella laughed. "If we've got a field we shan't rest till one of us has a
cow to put in it, that's certain!"

"Well, I don't know but what 'twould be a good investment," her father
answered, thoughtfully; "there's no getting milk enough anywhere
hereabouts."

Bella laughed again. "I can see that cow already," she cried, "a nice
little Guernsey, and Aunt Emma milking it. Why, there is Aunt Emma
herself! Whatever is she doing? Nursing a chick?"

They had reached their own gate by that time. "I wonder what she'll say
when she sees me?" chuckled their father.

"Doesn't she know?" cried Bella. "Oh, Aunt Emma, Aunt Emma!" she called.

"Aunt Emma!" shouted Tom, at the top of his voice. "Quick, come here!"

Miss Hender hurried to the gate with the chicken in her arms still.
"He's hurt his foot----" she began, but the rest of her remark was lost in
her astonishment. "Why, William!" she cried, "where have you been?
I thought you were in the orchard!" and she stared at him as though she
did not trust her own eyes.

"Orchard?" laughed Bella; "why, we picked him up by the first milestone,
and if we hadn't stopped him there's no knowing where he'd have been by
now. I believe he was so anxious to see his new shop he couldn't wait!"

She was standing with her arm round her father's shoulder, looking from
one to the other with eyes full of love and gladness. They were all of
them, indeed, so excited and pleased they scarcely knew what they were
doing.

"Oh yes, the shop!" cried Aunt Emma. "I'd forgotten that for the minute.
There are more surprises nowadays than I seem able to take in. Well, what
about it?"

"We've taken it!" cried Tom and Bella in one breath; "we've actually taken
it. What do you think of that? Isn't it enough to frighten one to