.

"Oh!" said Polly, and then she stopped, and the color flushed up into
her face.

"What is it, my dear?" and the minister took her hand kindly, and looked
down into her flushed face.

"You are not going to have a fever, and be sick and die!" she cried.

"I hope not, my little girl," he smiled back, encouragingly; and then
Polly gave her messages, which now she managed easily enough.

"There," broke in Miss Jerusha, "a cat can't sneeze in this town but
everybody'll know it in quarter of an hour."

And then Mrs. Henderson took Polly out to see a brood of new little
chicks, that had just popped their heads out into the world; and to
Polly, down on her knees, admiring, the time passed very swiftly indeed.

"Now I must go, ma'am," she said at last, looking up into the lady's
face, regretfully, "for mammy didn't say I was to stay."

"Very well, dear; do you think you could carry a little pat of butter?
I have some very nice my sister sent me, and I want your mother to share
it."

"Oh, thank you, ma'am!" cried Polly, thinking, "how glad Davie'll be,
for he does so love butter! only--"

"Wait a bit, then," said Mrs. Henderson, who didn't seem to notice the
objection. So she went into the house, and Polly went down again in
admiration before the fascinating little puff-balls.

But she was soon on the way, with a little pat of butter in a blue bowl,
tied over with a clean cloth; happy in her gift for mammy, and in the
knowledge of the minister being all well.

"I wonder if Phronsie's awake," she thought to herself, turning in at
the little brown gate; "if she is, she shall have a piece of bread with
lots of butter."

"Hush!" said Mrs. Pepper, from the rocking-chair in the middle of the
floor. She had something in her arms. Polly stopped suddenly, almost
letting the bowl fall.

"It's Phronsie," said the mother, "and I don't know what the matter is
with her; you'll have to go for the doctor, Polly, and just as fast as
you can."

Polly still stood, holding the bowl, and staring with all her might.
Phronsie sick!

"Don't wake her," said Mrs. Pepper.

Poor Polly couldn't have stirred to save her life, for a minute; then
she said--"Where shall I go?"

"Oh, run to Dr. Fisher's; and don't be gone long."

Polly set down the bowl of butter, and sped on the wings of the wind for
the doctor. Something dreadful was the matter, she felt, for never had
a physician been summoned to the hearty Pepper family since she co