Understood Betsy

by going up to Woodford, where the Fair was held. The Putneys weren't going that year, but the people on the next farm, the Wendells, said they could make room in their surrey for the

rving that the Putneys only looked at each other with the faintest possible quirk in the corners of their serious mouths, she understood that they

her and gave her a great hug that tipped them both over on the couch on top of Shep, who stopped snoring with his great gurgling snort,

the Fair, Betsy?" asked Cousin Ann. "

in short order, and they applied themsel

's birthday, she sat on the front seat with Mr. Wendell, and part of the time, when there were not too many teams on the road, she drove, herself. Mrs. Wendell and her sister filled the back seat solidly full from side to side and made one continuous soft lap on which Molly happily perched, her eyes shining, her round cheeks red with joyful excitement. Betsy looked

as reflected there also, near Molly, a dark-eyed, red-cheeked, sturdy little girl, standing very straight on two strong legs, holding her head high and free, her dark eyes looking out brightly from her tanned face. For an instant Betsy gazed into those clear eyes and then ... why, gracious goodness! That was herself she was looking at! How changed she was! How very, very different she

big doll in the next aisle and they hurried over to inspect her clothing. The mirror was

tions, having seen very different sides of the Fair. The children were full of the merry-go-rounds, the balloon-seller, the toy-venders, and the pop-corn stands, while the Wendells exchanged views on the shortness of a hog's legs

olly could go home with the Vaughans? They're here in their bi

his would be great fun, a

o stood inside the building, near an open window: "Oh, Frank, Wil

e young man. "His tur

live at Putney Farm are going to go home with them. They ca

with a noticeable lack of intere

and ask Will Vaughan what time they're going to start and where thei

Betsy. "I'll be sure

ld the venders washed their glasses in that, and their hands, and for all she knew their faces. Betsy was for merry-go-rounds, but Molly yearned for a big red balloon; and while they were buying that a man came by with toy dogs, little brown dogs with curled-wire tails. He called out that they would bark when you pulled their tails, and seeing the little girls looking at him he pulled the tail of the one he held. It gave forth a fine loud y

iculty, but William Vaughan was not in it. Nor was the young man she had seen before. There was a new one, a strange one, a careless, whistling young man, with very bright socks, very yellow shoes, and very striped cuffs. He said, in answer to Betsy's inquiry: "Vaughan? Will Vaughan? Never heard the name," and immediately went on whistling and loo

ay!" In her agitation (for she was really very much frightened) she forgot how easily terrified little Molly was. Her alarm instantly

e was telling the truth. She ran as fast as she could drag Molly's fat legs, to the horse-shed w

ardly breathe. After all, she was only ten that day, you must remember. Molly began to cry loudly

too much for Molly to walk, and anyhow neither of them knew the way. They had only ten cents left, and

t on crying out, horrified by Betsy

tely, "What would Cousin Ann do if she were here!" But that did not help her much now, because she could not possibly imagine what Cousin A

irl into her lap, wiping away the tears and saying, stoutly, "Now, Molly, stop cr

ever do it?"

ne and left us.

er own under lip was quivering a little. "That's my surprise party for you. Just you w

ing wilderness about her; for all at once the Fair, which had seemed so lively and cheerful and gay before, seemed now a horrible, frightening, noisy

him again. He stopped his whistling only long enough to say

hans," murmured Betsy, in a low t

he young man casually. He smoothed his black hair back straig

to Hillsboro on the cars?" as

man. "What I don't know about this Rube state! I never was in

to the older man who had to

ould manage somehow. She heard Betsy's voice again talking to the other man, but she was busy looking at an exhibit of beautiful jelly glasses, and paid no attention. Then Betsy led her away again out of doors, where

yet. "Oh, Betsy," she proposed, "let's tak

ice as she answered: "No, no, Molly. We've got to save every cent of that. I've found out it costs

got but ten,

en burst out, "I'll earn the rest! I'll earn it

eing anything unusual in this. "You can,

ing to meet people in a crowd. "No, you won't! You just f

another. How could a little girl earn money at a county fair! She was horri

re," she said. "Don't you

ho was selling lemonade answered Betsy's shy question with a stare

odford Ladies' Aid Society would serve a hot chicken dinner for thirty-five cents. Of course the sign was not accurate, for at half-past three, almost four, the chicken dinner had long ago been all eaten and in place of t

down at her a little impatient

hard. "I came to see if you wouldn't hire me to was

ishes, and said, turning away, "Mercy, child, if you washed from n

r women, "Some young one wantin

herself stop doing these things. And Cousin Ann wouldn't have given way to the dreadful sinking feeling of utter discouragement, but would have gone right on to the next place. So, although Betsy felt like nothin

ked at them grimly with unseeing eyes. It was four o'clock. The last train for Hillsboro left in two hours and she was no nearer having the price of the tickets. She stopped for a moment to get

e near her. "But honest! Momma'd just eat me

red booth, the sign of which announced that home-made doughnuts and soft drinks were for sale there. A young man, very flushed and gay, was pulling at the girl's blue ging

! You know Momma!" She looked longingly toward the open-air dancin

small voice. "I'll do

girl's elbow, all q

sked the girl in a g

erything! Wash the dishes, tend the booth; y

"My! Aren't we up and coming!" said the man. "You're m

straight into the laughing eyes. "I'm ten years old today," she sai

burst out into

nnie, why not? Your mother won't be here for an hour. The

hard not to mind being laughed at, and keeping h

man, laughing. "Here's our chanc

she'll never know. Here, you cute kid, here's my apron." She took off her long apron and tied it a

from Betsy, came in. "Hello, there's another one!" said the gay young man, gayer and gayer. "Hello, button! Wh

le word. The girl laughed, swooped back, gave Molly a kiss, and disap

r in her life would she simply love to wash dishes beyond anything else! But it was so. Her relie

ut as Molly had not (from the moment Betsy took command) suspected that it was not all right,

Betsy doubtfully. She lifted her up and went bac

ease," said a man'

anything about ... but the man laid down a nickel, took two doughnuts, and turned away. Betsy gasped and looked at the home-made sign stuck into the big pan

th two little boys approached she came forward to wait on her, elated, important. "Two for five," she said in a b

dishes wa

etsy's coolness over this transaction. Be

lly now, looking from her coign of vantage down

blue rosettes; the prize cows, with wreaths around their necks; the prize horses, four or five of them as glossy as satin, curving their bright, strong necks and stepping as though on eggs, their manes a

years to come she can shut her eyes and see again in every de

k. It was nearing five. Oh, suppose

lf a dozen doughnuts," said a man

counter, selected two marked ginger ale, and glared at t

e looking for. Here, you get the glasses and I'll open th

into their mouths. Betsy wished ardently that the girl would come back. She was now almost sure that she had forgotten and would dance

, producing a quarter. "We've had the t

the nickels that remained

e," he said royally

ughnuts with my extra

thing ... Momma'll never miss 'em. And what you sell here has go

Betsy, happening to remember as she and Mol

things! Say ... "-she ran after Betsy and gave her a hug-"you

to the station. Molly was eating doughnuts as she went. They were both quite hungry by

confident a tone as she could; but when the precious bits of paper were pushed out at her and

?" said Molly. "I never in my li

her languidly to eat one herself; she

and hung heavily on Betsy's hand. Betsy plodded along, her head hanging, her eyes all gritty with fatigue and sleepiness. A light buggy spun round the turn of the road behind them, the single horse trotting fast as though the driver were in a hurry, the wheels rattling smartly on the har

s Uncle Henry come to meet them! Th

that his old hands were shaking, that he was trembling all over. When she said, "Why, yes, Uncle Henry, we're all right. We came home on the cars," Uncle Henry leaned up against the fence as though he couldn't stand up. He took

ou can't imagine anything stranger than an

t come, we telephoned to the Vaughans, and they said they hadn't seen hide nor hair of ye, and didn't even know you were to the Fair at all! I tell you, your Aunt Abigail and I had an awful turn! Ann and I hitched up quicker'n scat and she put right out with P

t in thunder did

le Henry, who was outraged by the Wendells' loose wearing of their responsibility for the children. But as

gh she wondered once or twice if perhaps Uncle Henry were listening to her, he kept so still. "And so I bought the t

yard now and saw Aunt Abigai

right! No harm done!

y found her quietly setting out some supper for them on the table, but she was wiping away with her apron the joyful t

them soberly. "Sit right down and hav

ady voice: "All right, Ann. They're here. Your father just brought them in. I haven't h

Ann telephoning fr

for it, got her a fan and a drink of cold water, and hung over her anxiously till the color began to come back into her pale face. "I know just how you feel,

tion to what the grown-ups were saying, until rapid hoofs clicked on th

d," she said, adding hotly, "and if I don't

was shaking with feeling, and as he went on and told of Betsy's afternoon, her fright, her confusion, her forming the plan of coming home on the

in incredulous joy. Why, he was proud of her! She had

ther refusal, Cousin Ann reached out her long arms and quickly, almost roughly, gathered Betsy u

ink of that for a little girl ten years old today?" Cousin Ann opened the flood-gates wide and burst out, "I th

a momentous, an

ees, wondered if any little girl ha