t want to," said Mary Jane promptly. "I want to keep them
right here and come up and see them whenever I want to."

"That's best," agreed Grandmother. "You come with me and I'll find you
another basket and then you and Bob and I will hunt eggs."

So that is the way Mary Jane happened to have a pretty, brand new, pink
basket for hunting eggs: and that's why they were so late getting the
eggs that it was almost supper time before they were through.

THE MYSTERIOUS BUNDLES

For three days after Mary Jane came to visit her grandparents, the sun
shone bright and warm and the little girl spent all the time out of
doors. She raced around the yard with Bob; she played with the lamb in
the wood across the road; she watched her grandfather feed the little
pigs; she fed the chickens and hunted eggs. And, the most fun of all,
she watched the baby mice in the dusky, sweet-smelling hay loft. Till,
really, by the time she had had her supper of bread and milk, Mary Jane
was ready to tumble into bed and sleep straight through the night
without ever a thought of being homesick.

But the minute she awakened on the morning of the fourth day, Mary Jane
knew that something was different. The sun wasn't shining across her
coverlet as it had before; and from the window came the sound of
dripping, dripping, dripping rain. The kind of rain that you love if
everybody's indoors and can stay in and the fire's going brightly and
Mother's near to talk to. And also the kind of rain that makes you
feel very queer if you know Mother's hundreds of miles away and you
aren't going to see her for a good many weeks.

Mary Jane felt a queer feeling in her throat. Suddenly she tossed the
covers back, picked up her clothes so quickly she didn't even stop to
see if she had both stockings, and ran into her grandmother's room.
"I'm _not_ going to cry, so there!" she said to herself hastily.

"Well, good morning," said Grandmother cheerfully. "That's nice to
dress in here! I was just wishing I had company."

"Does rain make you feel like you wanted somebody right close?" asked
Mary Jane.

"Every time," agreed Grandmother. "And sometimes, when your
grandfather's working out in the barn, and Bob's out there with him,
and I'm all alone in the house, I just wish and wish I had a little
girl about your size here to talk to. I'm so glad you're come, Mary
Jane, you're such good company!"

And immediately, would you believe it? Mary Jane forg