"Yes," replied Mary Jane, "I can go this very minute, mother, because all
my children are taking their morning nap. Do I have to dress up?"

"Not a bit!" laughed mother; "just go down to Shaffer's at the corner then
you won't have to cross any street. Here is the money and here is the paper
that tells what you want--three pounds of granulated sugar. Thank you for
going, dear."

Mary Jane tucked the slip of paper and the money into her pocket under her
handkerchief, kissed her mother good-by and ran down the walk.

It didn't take long to do the errand because she ran right by her friend
Doris's house without even stopping to call "Hu-uu-oo!" as she usually did;
and because Mr. Shaffer seemed to have been expecting a call for three
pounds of sugar--he had the parcel all ready.

On the way back Mary Jane looked longingly into Doris's house and there,
sure enough, her little playmate was standing on the front porch.

"Come on in!" called Doris.

"Can't now," answered Mary Jane; "I'm doing an errand for mother, a real
important errand," and she held the package of sugar tightly in her arms
and walked straight along.

Now whether the paper in the bag was not very good to begin with; or
whether Mary Jane held the parcel too tightly or what--it would be hard to
say--but--Mary Jane had not gone five steps past Doris's house before she
felt a funny little movement in the bag under her arm. She looked and what