d
the squeezles--"

"The what?" said Polly.

"The squeezles," repeated Joel, irritably; "that's what you said."

"It's measles, Joey," corrected Mrs. Pepper; "never mind, I wouldn't
feel bad."

"Well, they all laughed, and laughed, and then I said you told me to
wait till I did get the money."

"Oh, Joe," began Mrs. Pepper, "you shouldn't have told 'em so--what did
he say?"

"Well, he laughed, and said I was a smart boy, and he'd see; and Mirandy
said, 'do pay him, pa, he must be tired to death'--and don't you think,
he went to a big desk in the corner, and took out a box, and 'twas full
most of money--lots! oh! and he gave me mine--and--that's all; and I'm
tired to death." And Joel flung himself down on the floor, expanded his
legs as only Joel could, and took a comfortable roll.

"So you must be," said Polly, pityingly, "waiting at those Peterses."

"Don't ever want to see any more Peterses," said Joel; never, never,
never!

"Oh, dear," thought Polly, as she sewed on into the afternoon, "I wonder
what does all my eyes! feels just like sand in 'em;" and she rubbed and
rubbed to thread her needle. But she was afraid her mother would see,
so she kept at her sewing. Once in awhile the bad feeling would go away,
and then she would forget all about it. "There now, who says I can't do
it! that's most done," she cried, jumping up, and spinning across the
room, to stretch herself a bit, "and to-morrow I'll finish it."

"Well," said Mrs. Pepper, "if you can do that, Polly, you'll be the
greatest help I've had yet."

So Polly tucked herself into the old shake-down with a thankful heart
that night, hoping for morning.

Alas! when morning did come, Polly could hardly move. The measles! what
should she do! A faint hope of driving them off made her tumble out
of bed, and stagger across the room to look in the old cracked
looking-glass. All hope was gone as the red reflection met her gaze.
Polly was on the sick list now!

"I won't be sick," she said; "at any rate, I'll keep around." An awful
feeling made her clutch the back of a chair, but she managed somehow to
get into her clothes, and go groping blindly into the kitchen. Somehow,
Polly couldn't see very well. She tried to set the table, but 'twas no
use. "Oh, dear," she thought, "whatever'll mammy do?"

"Hulloa!" said Joel, coming in, "what's the matter, Polly?" Polly
started at his sudden entrance, and, wavering a minute, fell over in a
heap.

"Oh ma! ma!" sc