k at 'em," said Tom.

"Just one peep," answered Fanny; and the next minute both were laughing
at a droll sketch of Tom in the gutter, with the big dog howling over
him, and the velocipede running away. Very rough and faulty, but so
funny, that it was evident Polly's sense of humor was strong. A few
pages farther back came Fanny and Mr. Frank, caricatured; then grandma,
carefully done; Tom reciting his battle-piece; Mr. Shaw and Polly in
the park; Maud being borne away by Katy; and all the school-girls turned
into ridicule with an unsparing hand.

"Sly little puss, to make fun of us behind our backs," said Fan, rather
nettled by Polly's quiet retaliation for many slights from herself and
friends.

"She does draw well," said Tom, looking critically at the sketch of a
boy with a pleasant face, round whom Polly had drawn rays like the sun,
and under which was written, "My dear Jimmy."

"You would n't admire her, if you knew what she wrote here about you,"
said Fanny, whose eyes had strayed to the written page opposite, and
lingered there long enough to read something that excited her curiosity.

"What is it?" asked Tom, forgetting his honorable resolves for a minute.

"She says, 'I try to like Tom, and when he is pleasant we do very well;
but he don't stay so long. He gets cross and rough, and disrespectful to
his father and mother, and plagues us girls, and is so horrid I almost
hate him. It 's very wrong, but I can't help it.' How do you like that?"
asked Fanny.

"Go ahead, and see how she comes down on you, ma'am," retorted Tom, who
had read on a bit.

"Does she?" And Fanny continued, rapidly: "As for Fan, I don't think
we can be friends any more; for she told her father a lie, and won't
forgive me for not doing so too. I used to think her a very fine girl;
but I don't now. If she would be as she was when I first knew her, I
should love her just the same; but she is n't kind to me; and though she
is always talking about politeness, I don't think it is polite to treat
company as she does me. She thinks I am odd and countrified, and I dare
say I am; but I should n't laugh at a girl's clothes because she was
poor, or keep her out of the way because she did n't do just as other
girls do here. I see her make fun of me, and I can't feel as I did; and
I 'd go home, only it would seem ungrateful to Mr. Shaw and grandma, and
I do love them dearly."

"I say, Fan, you 've got it now. Shut the book and come away," cried
T