the wall, and set it in the middle of the kitchen floor, and
then brought the little cotton bag out of the old work-basket.
"I shall do it all this very one minute," she declared softly,
as she sat down and drew out the snarl of thread.

"Now, boys," called Polly, as she took one look at her, and just
stopped to drop a kiss on the yellow hair, "you must just come
downstairs this very minute. If you don't, you can't have any
breakfast."

"Coming," sang Joel, and presently down he tumbled, two steps at
a time, pulling on his jacket as he went.

"Such a long time to stay abed," reproved Polly; "just think of
it, it's after seven o'clock, Joel Pepper, and Mamsie's been
gone half an hour!"

"An' I'm working," said Phronsie, twitching at the end of the
thread with an important air. "I'm going to pick out the whole
of this, I am, for Mamsie. See, Joey!" She held up the snarl,
and away the spool raced, as if glad to get off once more.

"Hoh!" said Joel, "you're making it worse'n ever, Phron."

"No, I'm not," cried Phronsie, clutching the snarl with both
little fists. "Oh, no, I'm not; am I, Polly?" And the big tears
began to race over her round cheeks.

"No," said Polly. "Oh, for shame, Joel, to make Phronsie cry!"