"Would what, Puss?" asked Ben, tossing her up high. "Have good
things," cried the child, in delight at understanding the others, "I
would really, Ben," she cried, gravely, when they all screamed.

"Well, I hope so," said Ben, tossing her higher yet. "Don't laugh at
her, boys," put in Polly; "we're all going to have good times now,
Phronsie, now we've got well."

"Yes," laughed the child from her high perch; "we aren't ever goin'
to be sick again, ever--any more," she added impressively.

The good times were coming for Polly--coming pretty near, and
she didn't know it! All the children were in the secret; for as Mrs.
Pepper declared, "They'd have to know it; and if they were let into
the secret they'd keep it better."

So they had individually and collectively been intrusted with the
precious secret, and charged with the extreme importance of
"never letting any one know," and they had been nearly bursting
ever since with the wild desire to impart their knowledge.

'Tm afraid I shall tell," said David, running to his mother at last;
"oh, mammy, I don't dare stay near Polly, I do want to tell so bad ."

"Oh, no, you won't, David," said his mother encouragingly, "when
you know mother don't want you to; and besides, think how Polly'll
look when she sees it."

"I know," cried David in the greatest rapture, "I wouldn't tell for all