skipped by Joel, and ran up to her, with a flushed face.

"Now I should like to know what you've been up to, Joey Pepper?"
said Polly, her brown eyes full on him.

"Haven't been up to anything," mumbled Joel, hanging his chubby
face.

"Yes, you have, I know," declared Polly, in her most positive
fashion; "now tell me what it is, and right straight off, Joel.
Begin." She kept her hands still folded in her lap. "What were
you going to do?"

Joel squirmed all over the little patch of ground before the
flat doorstone, and dug the toes of his shoes into the dirt.

"Don't do so," cried Polly. "You'll get bigger holes in 'em. Oh,
Joel, to think how naughty you are, and Mamsie away!"

At that Joel gave a loud howl, nearly upsetting Polly from her
stone; then, digging his two fists into his eyes, he plunged
forward and thrust his black head on the folded hands in her lap.
"I ain't naughty," he screamed. "I ain't, and Mamsie won't care.
O dear--ooh--ooh!"

"Tell me what you were going to do, before I can say you are not
naughty," said Polly, dreadfully frightened at his outburst, but
not unfolding her hands.

"I was only going to--going to--going to--" mumbled Joel, trying