The girl laughed. She was a very good-humored girl, and did not appear
to be displeased, though it certainly was not quite proper for Marco
to speak in that manner to a stranger. She did not, however, reply to
his question, but said, after a pause,

"Do you know where the Montpelier stage is?"

The proper English meaning of the word _stage_ is a _portion of
the road_, traveled between one resting-place and another. But in
the United States it is used to mean the carriage,--being a sort of
contraction for _stage-coach_.

"No," said Marco, "_we_ are going in that stage."

"I wish it would come along," said the girl, "for I'm tired of
watching my trunk."

"Where is your trunk?" said Marco.

So the girl pointed out her trunk. It was upon the platform of the
piazza, near those belonging to Forester and Marco. The girl showed
Marco her name, which was Mary Williams, written on a card upon the
end of it.

"I'll watch your trunk," said Marco, "and you can go in and sit down
until the stage comes."

Mary thanked him and went in. She was not, however, quite sure that
her baggage was safe, intrusted thus to the charge of a strange boy,