ween the rows of summer vegetables. The little girls held their arms outstretched to keep their balance,

d once she sat down upon a cabbage. But, as she was as light as a feather, it certainly

with a happy thought, "let's go

here the schoolhouse steps were, but she would have gone

py disposition and loving little ways. Gentilla was not a great talker, but she made smiles and a dimple and funny little bobs of her head take the place of speech. She liked to steal up behind you and place a kis

I can hardly believe that she is a real gy

f I lived alone I would almost think of adopting her, though I d

for their own little girls. He thinks we haven't been very wise," answered Mrs. Whitin

Susans, one large and one small, were walking down the path toward them. For Gentilla wore, fitted to her smal

play," called Susan. "And I

quired Grandmother mildly. "It

n my little basket for us," said Susan. "It isn

ment, basket in hand, ca

you took, Susan,"

of sugar. "Just enough for Gentilla and me," said Susan co

illa carrying Snowball, Susan wi

ward the office. "Grandfather has gone fishing, and Snuff has gone with him. T

" echoed Gen

r why he wasn't a king. There are always plenty of kings in fairy stori

d solemnly, but Susan

staring at the schoolh

and rattled the knob, and all of no avail. But now the door actually stood ajar, and, wi

t lay thick upon the floor and danced in the beams of

to the wood. The door of the rusty stove stood open, and within lay a heap of torn papers. The faded maps were not intere

like Mary's lamb. "Then we'll sit down and eat our lunch." The lunch

had swung shut behind them, and pulled. The door woul

Gentilla,"

a pull, and toppled ove

ing her to her feet. "We will

and stiff, were no more a

, covered with dust and dirt, pushed and

ed. "I can't open i

san's distress. She ran back to the door a

lla, in a pitiful little pipe that

hroat, and it was only vigorous winking and blinki

mething she had overheard Grandmother

e mother to Gentilla,"

illa ever falls into the fire or tumbles down

ind might happen, so that she might show how bra

er and thinner and thinner until there would be nothing left of them at all. At this doleful thought, one tear rolled down Susan's nose

will stay by the window, and when anybody goes by, we will kn

gingly out at the sunny road, the dancing leaves, and oh, cruelest of all, the

olished off the window-glass as best

e hopefully. "Or else Grandfather w

r heart s

e till black night. And I didn't tell Grandmother where we

e interrupted by the w

nock and scream!" ca

bling her efforts when she saw that it was Mr.

wned all the noise they made, and Mr. Drew, with not

d blankly a

been here," said she forlorn

ght," echo

an alone on guard. She shut her eyes, her head nodded once or twice,

Susan, who at that moment would have welcomed the company of even a fly buzz

essing her face against the window, she bravely watched the empty

to death in a mighty bear hug? What if Grandfather had made a mistake and the Indians had not all gone away years ago! Suppose they should carry her off and stain her brown with berry juice, l

screamed out loud. Up the road this mome

Wake up and help me! Here's a bear! Oh! Oh! He's coming after us

and hope as soon as she saw that the great brown bear

e basket, which, in days gone by, had often held goodies, as he well knew, excited his curiosity. Up the steps tripped Master Snuff

, then back to the window where he echoed their cries for help by barkings so frantic that Grandfather, t

something was wrong, and that Gra

lloped down the walk, but it was only to circle round Grandfather and bac

you think I ought to carry those dolls up to

randfather Whiting followed him up the walk, and a second later

Grandfather tenderly, as a very dirty little girl clasped him

ears and Indians," sobbed Susan. "But I knew you'd come, I knew you'd co

Susan gladly rewarded Snuff, who devoured his treat in two bites, and then, w

the party met Miss

e camp. She is too little to understand, but Susan has had quite a fright. They weren

e that she and Gentilla had not been imprisoned in th

Susan a lecture upon going into strange places and shutting the door behind her. Grandfather was concerned

account of it with undiminished interest. She was able to brag and boast to him as she could to no one else, and before they separated for th

s mother for the third time call him to come home. "We'll take turns being be

me his fat

ath toward home with th

ed back as he hopped

nture was to be cast in the shade. But Susan went to bed that night feeling quite a