els, in a farmer's cart."
Polly's laugh was so infectious that every one smiled and forgot to be
shocked at her performance. "Yes," she added, "I kept wishing I could
meet you, just to see your horrified face when you saw me sitting on
my little sofa, with boxes and bundles all round me, a bird-cage on one
side, a fishing basket, with a kitten's head popping in and out of the
hole, on the other side, and jolly old Mr. Brown, in his blue frock,
perched on a keg of apples in front. It was a lovely bright day, and I
enjoyed the ride immensely, for we had all sorts of adventures."

"Oh, tell about it," begged Maud, when the general laugh at Polly's
picture had subsided.

"Well, in the first place, we forgot my ivy, and Kitty came running
after me, with it. Then we started again, but were soon stopped by a
great shouting, and there was Will racing down the hill, waving a pillow
in one hand and a squash pie in the other. How we did laugh when he
came up and explained that our neighbor, old Mrs. Dodd, had sent in a
hop-pillow for me, in case of headache, and a pie to begin housekeeping
with. She seemed so disappointed at being too late that Will promised
to get them to me, if he ran all the way to town. The pillow was easily
disposed of, but that pie! I do believe it was stowed in every part of
the wagon, and never staid anywhere. I found it in my lap, then on the
floor, next, upside down among the books, then just on the point
of coasting off a trunk into the road, and at last it landed in my
rocking-chair. Such a remarkable pie as it was, too, for in spite of all
its wanderings, it never got spilt or broken, and we finally ate it for
lunch, in order to be left in peace. Next, my kitty got away, and I
had a chase over walls and brooks before I got her, while Mr. Brown
sat shaking with fun, to see me run. We finished off by having the
book-shelves tumble on our heads as we went down a hill, and losing
my chair off behind, as we went up a hill. A shout made us pause, and,
looking back, there was the poor little chair rocking all by itself in
the middle of the road, while a small boy sat on the fence and whooped.
It was great fun, I do assure you."

Polly had run on in her lively way, not because she thought her
adventures amounted to much, but from a wish to cheer up her friends,
who had struck her as looking rather dull and out of sorts, especially
Mr. Shaw; and when she saw him lean back in his chair with the old
hearty la