“I’m glad those men are gone; they did worry me so, talking when I wanted to hear,” said Polly, as they rolled away.

“Which did you like best?” asked Fanny, with a languid air of superiority.

“The plain one, who didn’t say much; he picked up my muff when it tumbled down, and took care of me in the crowd; the others didn’t mind anything about me.”

“They thought you were a little girl, I suppose.”

“My mother says, a real gentleman is as polite to a little girl as to a woman; so I like Mr. Sidney best, because he was kind to me.”

“What a sharp child you are, Polly. I shouldn’t have thought you’d mind things like that,” said Fanny, beginning to understand that there may be a good deal of womanliness even in a little girl.

“I’m used to good manners, though I do live in the country,” replied Polly, rather warmly, for she didn’t like to be patronized even by her friends.

“Grandma says your mother is a perfect lady, and you are just like her; so don’t get in a passion with those poor fellows, and I’ll see that they behave better next time. Tom has no manners at all, and you don’t complain of him,” added Fan, with a laugh.

“I don’t care if he hasn’t; he’s a boy, and acts like one, and I can get on with him a great deal better than I can with those men.”

Fanny was just going to take Polly to task for saying “those men” in such a disrespectful tone, when both were startled by a smothered “Cock-a-doodle-doo!” from under the opposite seat.

“It’s Tom!” cried Fanny; and with the words out tumbled that incorrigible boy, red in the face, and breathless with suppressed laughter. Seating himself, he surveyed the girls as if well satisfied with the success of his prank, and waiting to be congratulated upon it. “Did you hear what we were saying?” demanded Fanny, uneasily.

“Oh, didn’t I, every word?” And Tom exulted over them visibly.

“Did you ever see such a provoking toad, Polly? Now I suppose you’ll go and tell papa a great story.”

“P’r’aps I shall, and p’r’aps I shan’t. How Polly did hop when I crowed! I heard her squeal, and saw her cuddle up her feet.”

“And you heard us praise your manners, didn’t you?” asked Polly,-slyly.

“Yes; and you liked ’em; so I won’t tell on you,” said Tom, with a reassuring nod.

“There’s nothing to tell.”

“Isn’t there, though? What do you suppose the governor will say to you girls going on so with those dandies? I saw you.”

“What has the Governor of Massachusetts to do with us?” asked Polly, trying to look as if she meant what she said.

“Pooh! you know who I mean; so you needn’t try to catch me up, as grandma does.”