party's fer his birthday."

"Well, you go first then, Marinthy," said old Mr. Beebe, dryly,
"with him, an' Phronsie an' I'll foller on. Now then, my dear."
He set her on the floor, and bent his old white head down to
smile into her face reassuringly, while her trembling fingers
held his hand fast.

"Polly," said little David, as they brought up the rear of the
procession, "I am so very much afraid of that boy."

"The party will soon be through," said Polly, encouragingly.
"I'm so glad that Joel isn't here, for he'd say something, I'm
afraid, if Ab'm scares Phronsie again," and she gave a sigh of relief.

Oh, the table! There were doughnuts, sure enough, as Mrs.
Marinthy had said, "The biggest I ever see, and the sugariest."
No wonder good Mrs. Beebe got up at four o'clock to make them!
And a great dish of pink and white sticks and cunning little
biscuits with real butter on them, and a cake, with little round
candies sprinkled all over the top. Was there ever such a
beautiful birthday party!

Phronsie, clinging to good Mr. Beebe's hand, thought not, and
her glances wandered all up and down in delight, to bring her
eyes at last up to Polly's brown ones, when her little face
broke into a happy smile. Ab'm was so intent on choosing which
of the pink and white sticks he should pick for, that he could
think of nothing else, so Mrs. Beebe got them all seated without
any further trouble. Old Mr. Beebe was just saying, "Now, if