the world! I guess she'll look nice, don't you mother?" and he
laughed in glee at the thought.

"Poor child! I guess she will!" and then Mrs. Pepper laughed too,
till the little old kitchen rang with delight at the accustomed sound,

The children all had to play "clap in and clap out" in the bedroom
while it came; and "stage coach," too--"anything to make a noise,"
Ben said. And then after they got nicely started in the game, he
would be missing to help about the mysterious thing in the kitchen,
which was safe since Polly couldn't see him go on account of her
bandage. So she didn't suspect in the least. And although the rest
were almost dying to be out in the kitchen, they conscientiously
stuck to their bargain to keep Polly occupied. Only Joel would
open the door and peep once; and then Phronsie behind him
began-- "Oh, I see the sto--" but David swooped down on her in a
twinkling, and smothered the rest by tickling her.

Once they came very near having the whole thing pop out.
"Whatever is that noise in the kitchen?" asked Polly, as they all
stopped to take breath after the scuffle of "stage coach." "It sounds
just like grating."

"I'll go and see," cried Joel, promptly; and then he flew out where
his mother and Ben and two men were at work on a big, black
thing in the corner. The old stove, strange to say, was nowhere to
be seen! Something else stood in its place, a shiny, black affair,
with a generous supply of oven doors, and altogether such a
comfortable, home-like look about it, as if it would say--"I'm going
to make sunshine in this house!"