ourse she would not drown. It was a
wise thought, and showed great presence of mind in a child of my age.
I am glad I have this one redeeming fact to tell of myself--I, who ran
wild at the silly story of a make-believe Big Giant!

Yes, I held up that long pole with all the might of my little arms,
crying all the while to Seth in the barn,--

"Come quick! come quick!"

It was just as much as I could do. I am sure strength must have been
granted me for the task. For a long while, or what seemed to me a long
while, nobody heard. Seth was making a great noise with his flail, and
if my shout reached his ears he only thought it child's play; but when
it kept on and on, so shrill and so full of distress, he dropped his
flail at last and ran.

Not a moment too soon; my little strength was giving out.

"Jethro! what's this?" cried he, and caught the pole from my hand.
"Well, you're a good one! Don't be scared, little dear." That was to
Fel. "Hold on tight, and I'll fetch you up in a jiffy."

She did hold on; stupefied as she was, she still had sense enough to
cling to the pole.

"There, there, that's a lady! Both arms round my neck! Up she comes!"

By that time cousin Lydia was on the spot, looking ashy white, and
Seth, with Fel in his arms, was rocking her back and forth like a
baby, and saying, "There, there, little girlie, don't cry."

"The Lord be praised!" exclaimed cousin Lydia; "the child's alive! the
child's alive!"

"Yes, and this Marjie here is a good one," said Seth, pointing to me;
"she's got the right stuff in her. I never saw a young one of that age
do anything so complete in my life."

I cried then; it was the first time I could stop to cry. Cousin Lydia
put her arms round me, and kissed me; and that kiss was sweet to my
soul.

Seth carried Fel into the house. She was trembling and sobbing
violently, and did not seem at first to understand much that was said
to her. Cousin Lydia rubbed her, and gave her some cordial to drink,
and I looked on, half proud and half ashamed. Seth kept saying there
were five feet of water in the well, and if I hadn't held Fel up, she
must have drowned before anybody could get to her. I knew I had been
very brave, and had saved Fel's life. I knew it before Seth said so.
But who drowned her in the first place? I expected every minute cousin
Lydia would ask that question; but she didn't; she never seemed to
think of it.

When the young ladies came home, Miss Julia took me