The Adventures of Joel Pepper

was tired out picking rocks all the forenoon, and Polly had shut the door and said he mustn't be waked up. So there he la

t a pack of chattering young ones who could not contain their pride at being able to fly so

eady eyes at Joel; when they saw it was he, they chirped and twittere

to play with, an' you have, lots an' lots." Then a smile broke out and ran all over his c

fluttered their wings and flew off, scr

t afternoon; so he hopped off from his stone and ran to get his old tin pail and the remnant of an iron spoon that Polly had given the boys to dig wor

" he said, slinging his bi

miling away at him. "Sh, Joel, don't m

e," declared Joel, on th

nod of her brown head, "you needn't think it. Davie's l

set down his pail of angleworms, and the pole carefully beside it. "See, Polly," and

ll about David, and dropping her work to he

ggling his legs far apart, and peerin

ute, and don't you go upside down again!

g over to lie still on the grass. Then he began to slap his

shouldn't wonder if sometime you burst a blood ves

e, Polly," bringing his legs down quite s

t, and here I ought to be sewing every single minute." Just then the bedroom door opened, and out walked

Davie up," exclaimed Polly,

d he jumped to his feet and ran to the window to thrust his stubby head

, as it fell at her words. "I'm sorry, Davie, but you were real t

erry Brook," cri

n to keep him in, an' we'd catch a whole lo

ittle tumbling stream over a few ragged rocks, on the edge of Deacon Brown's meadow lot

gh it a needle to which a coarse thread was tied, and looked gravely at Jo

t, truly." Then he flung himself on the grass and burst into tears, kicking over the pail.

s hands. "I'm not a bit tired, and I

red before you'd gone halfway. And Mamsie wouldn't

id, shrugging his shoulders, "

ust have it dark, or else you won't go to

ulders, and wouldn't even look at the b

nd lie down by his side and hold his hand, maybe he'd go to sleep. H

lding up her mangy bit of calico, where all but one corner was in a pu

is to be done. And Mamsie will come home, and then what will

she said, with a long sigh, putting the puckered calico bit, with the needle hanging,

to catch her, and nearly smothering her with kisses. "Whatever

?" cried Phronsie, very much pleased as Polly

you go into the bedroom like good children, and shut the door and go to sl

his head to look in at the window at her. She didn't seem to see him, but sewed on and on quite composedly, as if Joe

d things have every single one of 'em run away!" and he beat th

alico bit, "that's twice you've made a most awful noise; now you'll wake Davie up again, you bad, naughty boy," and without

and throwing herself down on the grass, she covered her

beat you, Polly Pepper," and he raised the old broken iron spoon. There

dripped down between her fingers, "for I've been bad to you, and Mamsie away." She cou

t his anger. He threw away the spoon, and kneeling beside her, he put

th her sobs. "O dear me! I can't ever forgive mys

jumped to his feet. "I'm g

, the tears running in little rivers down her nose and cheeks. "There, see! I'm no

d Joel, stop

dear," and she wiped off the last tear. "Now I'll help you dig some more worms," she sa

how nice! Here's the spoon--here's the spoon,"

a sigh as she thought of the work to b

easy position on the grass, "'cause you see there isn't but one

the pail. And at last Joel hopped up and peered in. "Oh, Polly, what a lot! An' they're juicy ones, and a great deal better'n mine. Now I gu

ing little pat, "and oh, Joey, I'm

antly, "'cause you dug my worms

all the children, Ben and all, were abed that night, and she crept into Mamsie's arm

le; and, creeping and ducking under them, at last he struck the little path to the Cherry Brook, that gurgled its way along Farmer Brown's meadow. U

ting the string which, for want of a fishing line, he had tied to his pole. "Then I guess, when Polly sees it, she'll be glad. Now I'll g

ogether and run and hide them in the thick bushes, when the boys to whom the

Then they stood still a minute, all three staring at each oth

e brook. Joel went steadily along as well as he could for the vines and stubby trees

he knew, Joel was seized roughly by the shoulder. "Gimm

ulled too, so that pretty soon Joel was tumbled heels over head, into the brook, and the pail was in the hands of the biggest boy, who cried out joyfully, "Oh, see what a lot! now we'll go up to th' 'Pool.'" Thi

fierce, although he was so small, that without another word the other two ran away as fast as they could. Joel plunged after the

E BACK M

ht of giving up the race. There was a man off in the further corne

the undergrowth. "Hold on there!" commanded Deacon Brown,

n jiggled out in the chase. So Joel had to go back, and pick up his pole with the string hanging to it, and carry t