Half a Dozen Girls

in pattered on the shingles above their heads. The experiment had all the charm of novelty, and the weather was in their favor,

eing that "living disgrace" which Aunt Jane had pronounced her. Still, Polly was in the minority, and the change of programme was adopted. At the third meeting, Molly was the one to propose an adjournment at the end of the first quarter of an hour, and the girls we

in at the western window, and threw a golden light over the dainty summer gowns of the three girls who were in a row on the slippery haircloth seat of an old mahogany sofa, which had an empty sta

gly. "These girls are scolding me like everyth

r begged. "He insisted on coming up here with

play ball with the other

ith righteous indignation. "It's not fair to twit

o tired of it at the end of ten minutes,

t so much as speak, if you'll let me stay; but it's awfully dull doing nothing,

!" exclaimed Polly

ything! You'll be sound asle

ding it, then?" was Al

d Florence. "It's one of Polly's

respect; for Polly made no secret of Aunt Jane's eccentriciti

filled with shame at the tho

't doing any of us the least bit of good. I've listened just as hard as I could, a

of drawing it out, that threw untold meaning into its simple form. Alan used to declare that, if Molly once prono

pieces. "I think it's too warm weather for it, Polly. I don't care what Aunt Jane says; I'm not going to waste these glorious su

oked rat

t an hour a day, and only every other da

ch, though, Polly,"

rm; wait till cooler

n't have time to fin

dy for us. How is it

sit down to write, my head is as empt

your old book go till fall, and then start again, but only read half an hour a day. That's all y

Polly. "I hate to give up, now we've st

arked Jean, whil

do you know what the man is

now as I do,"

t for?" pursued Florence, determ

we ought to like it. 'Most everybody does read it, and I didn't know b

her have something a little fresher than this

" called a voi

the floor, where sh

?" she exclaimed, running to the

-seated carriage, while Job stood nodding sleepily

a little drive?" she called, as

eads appeared, and she was

lov

at

down in

age, in a gay, laughing group. Alan came sauntering down the stairs after them, and stood leaning in the doorway, watching

is, if you can stand i

Is the

riage, then stopped,

her's arm, and shak

I'll go," he sa

ked Mrs. Adam

d the boy frankly. "I don't want to be in

ht. "I'd like to have Alan go, well enough, only I was af

entle, still brought a deeper flush to Polly's face. Then she added to Alan, "Nonsense, my boy! You are thin as a rai

's fresh pink gingham gown; Mrs. Adams shook the lines persuasively; Job waked and began to trudge alo

oss the railroad track. "He really has been a valuable horse in his day, and there was a time when nothing could go by h

elbows on the back of the seat in front of her; "only w

so saucy," suggested Alan. "Don't

he stumbles so. Go on, Job!" she added, with an inviting chirrup, as she leaned fo

he had learned its lack of significance. Accordingly, he only tilte

they rode through the town, past the cemetery, where Mrs. Adams had some difficulty in overcoming Job's desire to turn in, across the long white bridge over the river, and through the quiet little village on its eastern bank. Then they turned southward, where the road lay over the level meadows, now past a great corn- field, now by the side of a piece of grass land dotted thickly with large yellow daisies. At their right was the broad blue river, shi

Florence, with a sigh of content, as sh

f those daisies," said Polly, pointi

before Mrs. Adams could bring Job to

you," he called. "It's too hard

d up the flowers by the roots, came running afte

carriage, like a monkey, and worked his way along to the front seat again. "You're a daisy, yourself, Ala

Molly, disregarding the daisies. "If it does, it

said Jean. "What make

s look such a lovely dark blue. I heard somebody sa

aisy stems. "It's all just as it happens, only some people have a sign for everyt

an. "She won't take anything on

. Adams, leaning back in her seat, and letting Job

ence, seeing that none of

ams answered, as she took out the whip

gig

s. Adams; the girls are gl

s such warm weather, and the book wasn't real interesting, so we decided to let it go till by and by. Do you t

ams lau

ously. In old times, everybody read 'Pilgrim's Progress,' but it's going out of fashion now, and-Whoa, Job! What are y

the serpentine character of his tracks; now, catching sight of a tempting stalk of mullein by the fence, he had walked across the gutter and was just stretching his head forward to seize the covet

ere quite patiently, in spite of her strained position, until Job had devoured the mullein in a leisurely fashion. Then she

et's all get out and put Job into the carriage,

ntly. "You didn't like what Jean said to you, an

you spell the words

e been able

anybody, and may be he is sensitive about it," r

then," said Jean wickedly. "Perhaps it would

ressingly, as she rubbed the whip up and down over his glossy side. "Well, he's a poo

seemed scarcely able to totter onward, stumbling at every stone. But with the change of direction, his life came back to him, and with a whisk of his tail

aken ill in such a queer way; he staggered and almost fell. Polly and I were so frightened, for we thought he was going to die, right then and there. We jumped out and walked along beside him, leading him and petting him. The road was so narrow that we couldn't turn him around, without going on ever so far; nobody was in

u walk home?" asked Alan

trot the rest of the way, you may be sure. Go on,

hem firmly, in spite of the attempts his mistress made to free them once more

elbow on the back of the seat. "If you care to come to our house one or two mornings a week, through the rest of the vacation, and read

med Jean rapturously. "W

ther was not particularly hospitable to the members of the V, and it seeme

s stockings, and Polly's too, for that matter, for her toes are always coming through. I do

tockings to darn. There can't but one of us read at a time,

to darn stockings," sa

o, you'd have plenty of practice. Besides, I think any girl as old as we a

Polly. But I think I'll add your plan to mine, and tell the girls to bring their darning- bags wit

," said Molly

he same; and that's the reason I thought I'd like to ta

s he plunged his hands into his pocket

boy, you know," replied his sister,

as a dozen girls, th

l

oo?" asked Polly. "He

"I'd like it when I can't do anything else; but when t

a long-stemmed daisy. "Take us or leave us; but we don't want any ha

s. Adams. "You can come, if you wan

have the last word, "you'll have to bring some sto