nder water stabbing his alligator, and took no notice
of the indignant departure of the young ladies.

"Polly 's always poking up in grandma's room. I don't see what fun there
is in it," said Fanny as they went up stairs.

"Polly 's a verwy queer girl, and gwandma pets her a gweat deal more
than she does me," observed Maud, with an injured air.

"Let 's peek and see what they are doing," whispered Fan, pausing at the
half-open door.

Grandma was sitting before a quaint old cabinet, the doors of which
stood wide open, showing glimpses of the faded relics treasured there.
On a stool, at the old lady's feet, sat Polly, looking up with intent
face and eager eyes, quite absorbed in the history of a high-heeled
brocade shoe which lay in her lap.

"Well, my dear," grandma was saying, "she had it on the very day that
Uncle Joe came in as she sat at work, and said, 'Dolly, we must be
married at once.' 'Very well, Joe,' says Aunt Dolly, and down she went
to the parlor, where the minister was waiting, never stopping to change
the dimity dress she wore, and was actually married with her scissors
and pin-ball at her side, and her thimble on. That was in war times,
1812, my dear, and Uncle Joe was in the army, so he had to go, and he
took that very little pin-ball with him. Here it is with the mark of
a bullet through it, for he always said his Dolly's cushion saved his
life."

"How interesting that is!" cried Polly, as she examined the faded
cushion with the hole in it.

"Why, grandma, you never told me that story," said Fanny, hurrying in,
finding the prospect was a pleasant one for a stormy afternoon.

"You never asked me to tell you anything, my dear, so I kept my old
stories to myself," answered grandma, quietly.

"Tell some now, please. May we stay and see the funny things?" said Fan
and Maud, eyeing the open cabinet with interest.

"If Polly likes; she is my company, and I am trying to entertain
her, for I love to have her come," said grandma, with her old-time
politeness.

"Oh, yes! do let them stay and hear the stories. I 've often told them
what good times we have up here, and teased them to come, but they think
it 's too quiet. Now, sit down, girls, and let grandma go on. You see I
pick out something in the cabinet that looks interesting, and then
she tells me about it," said Polly, eager to include the girls in her
pleasures, and glad to get them interested in grandma's reminiscences,
for Polly knew how happ