"You mustn't get mad, Polly," cried Adela, flying up straight to look
at her, but still keeping her lap well covered.

Jasper, running in, heard the words. "Polly never gets mad," he said
slowly, standing quite still.

"Well, she is now--just as mad as can be," said Adela, in a fretful
little voice; "look at her."

"Oh, I'm not mad, Adela," began Polly, "only sorry. And it's my fault,
Jasper," seeing his face darken, "for I looked over her shoulder. I
only wanted to surprise her; and Adela, of course, thought I wanted to
see what she was doing."

"Yes," said Adela, "I did think so, Polly Pepper, and I don't want
anybody to see it." With that she huddled the thing, whatever it was,
down by her side, and ran out of the room as fast as she could go.

"A disagreeable creature," began Jasper, hotly; "and she's been a
perfect nuisance all along to take her everywhere. Now we drop her,
Polly." He looked more like his father at this moment than Polly had
ever seen him before.

"Oh, no, Jasper," she remonstrated in dismay.

"Yes, we drop her like a hot cake," said Jasper, decidedly; "that would
be my opinion, Polly."

"But we can't, she's so alone," went on Polly; "and, besides, she's