tied it with four or five strong knots, to avoid all danger of its
undoing.

"He never'll untie it, Polly," said Ben; "that's just like a girl's
knots!"

"Why didn't you tie it then?" said Polly; "I'm sure it's as good as
a boy's knots, and they always muss up a parcel so." And she gave a
loving, approving little pat to the top of the package, which, despite
its multitude of knots, was certainly very neat indeed.

Ben, grasping the pen again, "here goes for the direction.

"Deary, yes!" said Polly. "I forgot all about that; I thought 'twas
done."

"How'd you s'pose he'd get it?" asked Ben, coolly beginning the "M."

"I don't know," replied Polly, looking over his shoulder; "s'pose
anybody else had eaten 'em up, Ben!" And she turned pale at the very
thought.

"There," said Ben, at last, after a good many flourishes, "now 'tis
done! you can't think of another thing to do to it, Polly!"

"Mamsie, see!" cried Polly, running with it to Mrs. Pepper, "isn't that
fine! 'Mr. Jasper E. King, at the Hotel Hingham."

"Yes," said Mrs. Pepper, admiringly, to the content of all the children,
"I should think it was!"

"Let me take it in my hand," screamed Joel, reaching eagerly up for the
tempting brown parcel.

"Be careful then, Joe," said Polly, with an important air. So Joel took
a comfortable feel, and then Davie must have the same privilege. At
last it was off, and with intense satisfaction the children watched Ben
disappear with it down the long hill to Deacon Blodgett's.

The next day Ben came running in from his work at the deacon's.

"Oh, Polly, you had 'em!" he screamed, all out of breath. "You had 'em!"

"Had what?" asked Polly in astonishment. "Oh, Bensie, what do you mean?"

"Your flowers," he panted. "You sent some flowers to Jasper."

"Flowers to Jasper!" repeated Polly, afraid Ben had gone out of his
wits.

"Yes," said Ben; "I'll begin at the beginning. You see, Polly, when I
went down this morning, Betsey was to set me to work. Deacon Blodgett
and Mrs. Blodgett had started early, you know; and while I was
a-cleanin' up the woodshed, as she told me, all of a sudden she said,
as she stood in the door looking on, 'Oh, Ben, Mis' Blodgett took some
posies along with your parcel.' 'What?' said I; I didn't know as I'd
heard straight. 'Posies, I said,' says Betsey; 'beautiful ones they
were, too, the best in the garding. I heard her tell Mr. Blodgett it
would be a pity if that sick boy couldn't have some f