"Your flowers," he panted. "You sent some flowers to Jasper."

"Flowers to Jasper!" repeated Polly, afraid Ben had gone out of his
wits.

"Yes," said Ben; "I'll begin at the beginning. You see, Polly, when I
went down this morning, Betsey was to set me to work. Deacon
Blodgett and Mrs. Blodgett had started early, you know; and while
I was a-cleanin' up the woodshed, as she told me, all of a sudden
she said, as she stood in the door looking on, 'Oh, Ben, Mis'
Blodgett took some posies along with your parcel.' 'What?' said I; I
didn't know as I'd heard straight. 'Posies, I said,' says Betsey;
'beautiful ones they were, too, the best in the garding. I heard her
tell Mr. Blodgett it would be a pity if that sick boy couldn't have
some flowers, and she knew the Pepper children were crazy about
'em, so she twisted 'em in the string around the parcel, and there
they stood up and looked fine, I tell you, as they drove away.' So,
Polly!"

"Bensie Pepper!" cried Polly, taking hold of his jacket, and
spinning him round, "I told you so! I told you so!"

"I know you did," said Ben, as she gave him a parting whirl, "an' I
wish you'd say so about other things, Polly, if you can get 'em so
easy."

JOLLY DAYS

"Oh Ben," cried Jasper, overtaking him by a smart run as he was
turning in at the little brown gate one morning three days after, "do