hardly breathe, she seized his shoulders and shook him smartly.

"Oh, what have I done! What have I done!" she exclaimed, and
throwing herself down on the grass, she covered her face with
her hands, waving back and forth in distress.

"You shook me!" cried Joel, his black eyes sparkling in anger.
"Now I'll beat you, Polly Pepper," and he raised the old broken
iron spoon. There they were--two little Peppers--oh, dreadful,
to tell it--and Mamsie away!

"You may, Joe," said Polly, brokenly, and rocking back and forth,
while the big tears dripped down between her fingers, "for I've
been bad to you, and Mamsie away." She could hardly speak for
her sobs. "How could I! Oh, Joey, I'm so sorry. O dear--dear--dear!"

She went off now into such a gust of crying, that Joel forgot
all about his anger. He threw away the spoon, and kneeling
beside her, he put his arms about her neck. "Don't cry, Polly,"
he begged, "please don't."

"I can't help it, Joe," said Polly, struggling with her sobs. "O
dear me! I can't ever forgive myself. I don't see how I came to
do it. O dear me!"

At last Joel, in despair, jumped to his feet. "I'm going to get
Grandma Bascom."

"Oh, no, you mustn't, Joe," cried Polly, bringing a very red
face suddenly to view, the tears running in little rivers down