cake for Mr. King--full of raisins, Phronsie; won't that be lovely!"
and Polly began to fill a little scalloped tin with some of the cake
mixture.

"N-no," said the child, eying it suspiciously; "that isn't like a
'gingerbread boy,' Polly; he'll like that best."

"Mamsie," said Polly, "we can't let her make a dreadful, horrid
'gingerbread boy' to send Mr. King! he never'll let Jasper come
here again."

"Oh, let her," cried Joel; "she can bake it, and Dave an' I'll eat it,"
and he picked up a raisin that had fallen under the table and began
crunching it with great gusto.

"That wouldn't be fair," said Polly, gloomily. "Do get her off from
it, mammy."

"Phronsie," said Mrs. Pepper, going up back of the child, who sat
patiently in her high chair waiting for Polly to let her begin, "hadn't
you rather wait and give your 'gingerbread boy' to Jasper for his
father, when he comes?"

"Oh, no, no," cried Phronsie, twisting in her chair in great
apprehension, "I want to send it now, I do."

"Well, Polly," said her mother, laughing, "after all it's best, I think,
to let her; it can't do any harm anyway--and instead of Mr. King's
not letting Jasper come, if he's a sensible man that won't make any
difference; and if he isn't, why, then there'd be sure to something