tle longer, she thought she would sit down, and rest
awhile. So she dragged her bag to the pine-tree, and sat down, leaning
her back against the tall trunk. She took her bag of sumac in her arms,
and lifted it up, trying to estimate its weight.

"There must be ten pounds here!" she said, "No--it don't feel very
heavy, but then there are so many of the leaves. It ought to weigh
fifteen pounds. And they will be a cent a pound if we take pay in trade,
and three-quarters of a cent if we want cash. But, of course, we will
take things in trade."

And then she put down the bag, and began to calculate.

"Fifteen pounds, fifteen cents, and at seventy-seven and three-quarter
cents per week, that would support Aunt Matilda nearly a day and a half;
and then, if Harry has as much more, that will keep her almost three
days; and if we pick for two hours longer, when Harry comes back, we may
get ten pounds more apiece, which will make it pretty heavy; but then we
won't have to come again for nearly five days; and if Harry shoots an
otter, I reckon he can get a dollar for the skin--or a pair of gloves
of it--kid gloves, and my pink dress--and we'll go in the
carriage--two horses--four horses--a prince with a feather--some
butterflies--" and Kate was asleep.

When Kate awoke, she saw by the sun that she had been asleep for several
hours. She sprang to her feet. "Where is Harry?" she cried. But nobody
answered. Then she was frightened, for he might be lost. But soon she
reflected that that was very ridiculous, for neither of them could be
lost in that neighborhood which they knew so well. Then she sat down and
waited, quite anxiously, it must be admitted. But Harry did not come,
and the sun sank lower. Presently she rose with an air of determination.

"I can't wait any longer," she said, "or it will be dark before I get
home. Harry has followed that thing up the creek ever so far, and there
is no knowing when he will get back, and it won't do for me to stay
here. I'll go home, and leave a note for him."

She put her hand in her pocket, and there was Harry's pencil, which she
had borrowed in the morning and forgot to return, and also the piece of
paper on which she had made her calculation of the cost of Aunt
Matilda's board. The back of this would do very well for a note. So she
wrote on it:

I am going home, for it is getting late. I shall go back by the same
road we came. Your sumac-bag is in the bushes between the tree a