untain near."

So they went to the shop, and very proud Bella felt as she took out her
purse and paid for the four buns the woman put in a bag for her.

"Anything else, missie?"

"No, thank you," said Bella, but rather regretfully, as her eyes fell on
the tarts and sausage-rolls, and the bottles of sweets, and on the glasses
of milk labelled 'Penny a glass.' A glass each would have cost twopence,
and that with the buns would amount to sixpence. "It would be a dreadful
lot out of what we've made," thought Bella, and bravely turned away.

The smell of the new buns was very enticing to two hungry little people
who had had nothing to eat since their seven o'clock breakfast, and they
did not dawdle on their way back to the friendly shelter of the church
steps.

"Won't Charlie and Margery be excited to hear all about it?" laughed
Bella, as she munched in placid content. "We ought to take something home
to them."

"We'll take them one of those peppermint walking-sticks," said Tom,
"shall we? They love that. I had one once, and Charlie always wanted one
like it. I saw some in the market."

"We'll take them one each. Isn't it lovely to have money, and be able to
buy things for people?"

"Rather," agreed Tom heartily. "Bell, I'm going to bring something from
my garden next week. I've got French beans and marrows ready to cut."

A lady passed, and looked hard at the children and at the baskets standing
beside them.

"Flowers, ma'am?" said ready Tom.

The lady paused. "I must see if I have any change," she said, and stood
still while she looked in her hand-bag. "Yes, I've just threepence," and
she went away carrying two of their remaining bunches.

For a few minutes longer they sat on, loth to move. "My legs are aching a
bit, aren't yours?" asked Bella.

Tom nodded. "I shouldn't be sorry if we were at the other end of the five
miles, should you?"

"I wish we were," sighed Bella, "and just meeting Charlie and Margery.
I wonder if they've started yet?"

A lady came along pushing an invalid carriage, on which a little girl was
lying. She lay perfectly flat, and looked very white and ill. As she
passed she looked with wistful, weary eyes at Tom and Bella. Bella had
picked up her basket to make room for the carriage to pass.

"Oh, what lovely flowers!" cried the little girl. "Mummy darling, do buy
some. Are they for sale?" she added quickly, looking at Bella, a hot
blush passing swiftly over her pal