Princess Polly's Gay Winter

chool, a thoughtful expression maki

pay ter be decent,"

were planning mischief. The little pupils watched

pt his eyes on his book, and appeared

been forced to attend school,

reading lesson, however, and the probl

dith for aid, but the young teacher was unable to make it clear to him, and when even

said, smiling at him encoura

s only Tuesday, but I can't get my lesson fo

," Aunt Judith said, kindly, "and now tell me wha

wo of my friends, how many would I give each, and I told her I'd keep more than one for myself, and I

h as heartily as the little pupils

iding pears, too. Don't folks divide anythi

and the puzzled boy laughed with

uainted with her, because they had laughed together. The laughte

ou laugh with me," he said

was the pleasant answer, and

, he had a better understanding of figures, and their use, and the actual worth

w to reckon. When you go to work you will need this knowledge. There are few things that you can do that will not be easier, or better done, and perhaps be better paid for if you are 'quick at figu

th's words as he lay on

ays live like a gypsy,"

nd then some tim

udith's words of cheer, and each time that he wh

ll learn, and I'll earn, and I'll do something. I don

tatement, and he dropped to sleep

if that fact explained every bit of mischief that he did. He had always felt that, being a gypsy,

and with it came hope, cheer

he murmured

* *

ass higher, he held his head high, and bravely worked at his lessons. Aunt Judith stood by him, and Wednesd

extra work that he had done under he

of his own age. Those boys had now ceased to

e a great sacrifice when they had decided to live through the Fall, the Winter and, the Spring in the old hou

she ran out to know if it were really as warm as it looked. The tall evergreen trees and hedges shone dark against the sky, and Sprite stood looking at them. She had taken part in a little play on the week before, an

ause of her talent for speaking. Sprite, with her long, golden hair, and her slender figure, ha

aking a lovely background for her figure. Gracefully she stood

e strivin

very be

be rewar

your wish

mp of underbrush that the gardener

little scrub oak, and now that a mild day had come,

yp, and his eyes grew brighte

rred u

e verse with even greater spirit than before, and

," said Sprite, whereat Gyp spra

er? Are ye a fairy? K

n of his race showe

he annoyed at the interruption. For, a second she lo

pity made her

t a fairy, so of course I can't grant it, but,-Oh, Gyp! I'm awfu

woman than like the child that s

d so plainly shown the longing in his h

e. I want a chance t

he gyp

she cried in quick relief, "because

ere! That boy will be

to help

showing how little he dreamed that the w

Sprite, "so while I co

it would come true,

er tell any of the others that I t

what she had told him, and for the promise that she had

s the fields, and even as she looked he turned, paused a

ed hers, and ret

ved his hand again, and th

* *

found his mother stirring a steaming mass that nearly fi

hing every movement that helped to prepare the dinner. They were all

s Gyp," the woman was saying, as the boy opened the door, "but I ne

fford?" Gyp ask

ask? Ain't ye never heard tha

called anything but

never come here," his mother said,

y name Gifford, t

left off the 'John,' and called, 'Gifford,' 'Gyp,' an' 'Gyp' it has been ever since. Don't they call

d not

d picking up one of his books, h

dragged to the center of the floor, the kettle was placed

g slice of bread, and these they dipped into the soup,

o? He had caught glimpses, now and then, of a be

always live

called him "Gy

hool, and astonished her by asking shyly i

if you wish

be called Gyp, and wou

ed you

with that old name, but I don't want to 'feel at home.' I'll not a

id, and both smiled to see how diffi

now that they all see how hard you are trying to gain knowledge, I think they will be willing to call you by the name that is really yours. Remember this, however. Don

* *

eceived by all the boys and girls who usually played together, requesting the p

ght," was inscribed in gold le

s Polly, "and I won't ask what the festiviti

, so we'll have to wait 'til the night of the party to know what he has planned. The only thing that he has told me is

be with him was close at hand, and papa said that he knew that we had had our share of

to you, Sprite is the sweetest girl I know. There's no girl quite so