"All right," said Polly, with a loving little pat, "and oh, Joey,
I'm so sorry I was cross and shook you."

"I don't care," said Joel, pleasantly, "'cause you dug my worms
for me, Polly," and he raced off.

But Polly went into the little brown house with a very sober
face. And it wasn't till all the children, Ben and all, were
abed that night, and she crept into Mamsie's arms and sobbed it
all out on her breast, that she felt better and like being Polly
again.

Joel rushed through the undergrowth and tangle of berry bushes,
breaking through the wild grape vines that slapped him in the
face and caught his pole; and, creeping and ducking under them,
at last he struck the little path to the Cherry Brook, that
gurgled its way along Farmer Brown's meadow. Underneath the cool
trees it was dank and mossy, and he flung himself down to rest,
first carefully setting his precious pail up against a big stone.

"I'm just goin' to catch the biggest fish you ever saw, Joel
Pepper," he exclaimed to himself, for want of company. "Yes
sir-_ree_," untwisting the string which, for want of a fishing
line, he had tied to his pole. "Then I guess, when Polly sees it,
she'll be glad. Now I'll get the very juiciest worm in the pail."
So he went to the pail, and was just leaning over to investigate
its depths, when he heard voices.

Joel knew in a minute whose they were, and he tried to scrabble