Four Little Blossoms on Apple Tree Island

ow, and Herbert's a year older. I calculate to stay over to-night with Joe Gates and his wife in P

f what Mr. Harley's sorrow would be when he learned that no wife and children waited for his coming on pretty

s, Margaret, please, and I'll have them filled. The children may be thirsty again before we get to Pol

ge where a sign on the gate offered "Guaranteed, Analyzed Spring Water for Sale,

er they do or say when they come back, children, I don't want

Blossoms, four little hearts warm

was all the time he was

ven know how long it has been since he has been home. Anyway, darlings,

t more than twenty minutes. The four little Blossoms saw them coming, Father Blossom in the lead. Such a c

ather Blossom took the wheel. "If I only knew where she went! But she quarreled with her

e him. "It isn't easy for a woman with two children to drop out

ook his head

. I was out o' my mind for three years, Ma'am, and when I came to I was in a hospital on the California coast. It took me a year

uined little shack on the island. "Don't go back there and try to live, Mr. Harley-it will only ma

ith Chris Smith; he owns a boathouse and I can earn my keep taking folks about the lake. I'll be on the spot

ht and tell you as so

ed Mother Blo

the Blossoms anxious not to annoy him. When they reached the town of Pomona, they left him at the post-offi

nding up on the seat and waving to Aun

nda!" c

Peter Apgar!"

ad to see any one in all my life! Margaret, you look positively beautiful! Ralph, Jud will show

ince the four little Blossoms had seen her and she wore

hey could hardly keep their eyes open, but they insisted on coming to the supper table. Linda and Aunt Polly had spent hours o

g her mother's sleeve half-way

tears running down her pink cheeks and dropp

't you feel well? Are you tired? Here, come sit i

lifted her up. The little girl buried her face i

ch a nice time, and he can't find his two little

talk" but to-night she

Aunt Polly curiously. "And look at this battery of so

ing Dot close, expla

ou recall whether she said where she was going? Just

ly shook

sted that she leave the boys with me until she found work, if that was what she wanted, and that, I think, frightened her. I couldn't coax her to stay for supper after that.

the four little Blossoms were swept away to hot baths and bed a few minutes after Aunt Polly finished

hopped out of bed and

Harley had fled with Dot's dreams and she was her usual

one shoe, so the four little Blossoms, helping each other, man

old times!" he exclaimed grinning

pgar, coming into the dairy barn from feedi

I'd rather Jud milked, 'cause he can do it so much faster th

and pleased Peter Apgar, too, because, y

this minute, Jud," he

milking on a special

alf given to Meg and Bobby, had grown to be a beautiful sleek cow and Meg privately decided she was prettier than any Aunt Polly owned. Jerry and Terry, the two farm horses, acte

d Jud, when they had made the roun

icultural college had given him more confidence in his own ability. He was

ta to Meg and Bobby. He was surprised and delighted to see the four children again and said it was just his usual go

e," confided Dot to Twaddles