er eyes searched Esther's face. It seemed to
her such an extraordinary choice for a tiny child to make. She was
reluctant to let her have it. "Hadn't she better have the one she chose
first?" she asked anxiously. But Esther was accustomed to her sister's
vagaries.

"No, thank you. I expect she would rather have this. Perhaps she thinks
she gets more."

Poppy smiled, and pursed her lips, and hugged her secret to herself
delightedly.

Then, having paid for Penelope's book, and bought some sweets for them
all, Esther led her little troop out of the shop and home.

Miss Ashe was out when the children returned, so they strolled into the
garden to amuse themselves as best they could. But the garden was too
neat and well-tended to allow of much in the way of games, so very soon
they wandered further, and escaped on to the moor, Penelope with her new
book, Esther with another book and the sweets, Angela carrying her beloved
pitcher. Guard followed them devotedly.

Poppy, though, decided to remain behind. She did not say so; nor did
they, so busy were they with their plans, at first notice her absence.

Miss Ashe's garden was a large one. In Dorsham land was of little value,
and one could have almost as much as one chose, if one took the trouble to
enclose it. The Moor Cottage garden was large enough to allow of its
being divided up into several small ones, the dividing being done chiefly
to provide shelter from the storms which so often swept over the moor,
though the strong stout walls provided excellent space for fruit-trees.

Poppy, when she saw she was alone, walked quickly from one part of the
garden to another, looking about her eagerly, her watering-can in her
hand, her packet of seeds in her pocket. No one else was about. Anna was
in the kitchen, she heard her voice there, singing hymns; Ephraim, whom
she was most afraid of meeting, was away, apparently. Probably he had
gone to Gorley with Miss Charlotte's broken glasses. Having made quite
sure that she had the place to herself, Poppy carefully deposited her can
on the ground, and ran to a corner where she had seen some tools stacked.
There were a spade, a large fork, a rake, and a little fork. Poppy seized
the spade, but after she had struggled with it a few yards and tumbled
down twice, she exchanged it for the little fork.

Close by where she had dropped her can was a neat square bed of nice
earth, all beautifully sifted and raked over. This