," said Phronsie, with her mouth half full, when the meal was
nearly over, "we're going to be awful rich; we are, Ben, truly!"

"No?" said Ben, affecting the most hearty astonishment; "you don't say
so, Chick!"

"Yes," said Phronsie, shaking her yellow head very wisely at him, and
diving down into her cup of very weak milk and water to see if Polly had
put any sugar in by mistake--a proceeding always expectantly observed.
"Yes, we are really, Bensie, very dreadful rich!"

"I wish we could be rich now, then," said Ben, taking another generous
slice of the brown bread; "in time for mamsie's birthday," and he cast a
sorrowful glance at Polly.

"I know," said Polly; "oh dear! if we only could celebrate it!"

"I don't want any other celebration," said Mrs. Pepper, beaming on
them so that a little flash of sunshine seemed to hop right down on the
table, "than to look round on you all; I'm rich now, and that's a fact!"

"Mamsie don't mind her five bothers," cried Polly, jumping up and
running to hug her mother; thereby producing a like desire in all the
others, who immediately left their seats and followed her example.

"Mother's rich enough," ejaculated Mrs. Pepper; her bright, black eyes
glistening with delight, as the noisy troop filed back to their bread
and potatoes; "if we can only keep together, dears, and grow up good, so
that the little brown house won't be ashamed of us, that's all I ask."

"Well," said Polly, in a burst of confidence to Ben, after the table had
been pushed back against the wall, the dishes nicely washed, wiped, and
set up neatly in the cupboard, and all traces of the meal cleared away;
"I don't care; let's try and get a celebration, somehow, for mamsie!"

"How are you going to do it?" asked Ben, who was of a decidedly
practical turn of mind, and thus couldn't always follow Polly in her
flights of imagination.

"I don't know," said Polly; "but we must some way."

"Phoh! that's no good," said Ben, disdainfully; then seeing Polly's
face, he added kindly: "let's think, though; and perhaps there'll be
some way."

"Oh, I know," cried Polly, in delight; "I know the very thing, Ben!
let's make her a cake; a big one, you know, and--"

"She'll see you bake it," said Ben; "or else she'll smell it, and that'd
be just as bad."

"No, she won't either," replied Polly. "Don't you know she's going to
help Mrs. Henderson to-morrow; so there!"

"So she is," said Ben; "good for you, Polly, you always t