as well as with their birch bark boxes in which
were planted the little pine trees. These were so much admired that
not one was left after the sale, and Mary had to bespeak some to be
made for her to carry home. Some little packages of fudge and
home-made candies went off rapidly, and of Luella's famous doughnuts
not one was left.

It was at the end of the sale when the biggest, finest cake was yet
waiting a buyer that Polly had a whispered talk with her Uncle Dick and
afterward stood in front of the cake table holding fast to her purse.
The cake in all the deliciousness of nut-spotted icing and rich
interior, was delivered to her when she paid over the amount asked for
it. Taking the treasure in her hands she bore it over to where Mary
was helping her aunt count up the money they had taken in. Polly set
the cake on the table before Mary. "There," she said, "it is all
yours."

"What do you mean?" exclaimed Mary. "Who said so?"

"I say so. I bought it for you because you said it looked so perfectly
delicious."

Mary was quite overcome by Polly's generosity, but she understood the
motive, and accepted the cake graciously, promising to divide it with
the family. It certainly was a delicious cake, and Polly really
enjoyed her share of it, feeling that in this instance she could have
her cake and eat it.

"Over a hundred dollars! I can scarcely believe it," said Miss Ada
when all the receipts were in. But so it was, and so did little Ellis
Dixon have his burdens lifted, for a hundred dollars will go a long way
when fish can be had for the catching, and when one has his own potato
patch.

_CHAPTER X_

_Arabs_

Of all the things which most amused the three little girls and their
friend, Grace, they enjoyed dressing up at dusk, and, in their queer
costumes, going around from cottage to cottage to call. Uncle Dick was
very clever in painting their faces so that they appeared as birds with
owl-like eyes and beaks or as cats, rabbits or some other animal. At
other times they were Indians in war paint and feathers; again they
were Egyptians or Chinese and dressed to suit the character.

"What shall we do this evening?" said Polly one day when the question
of the evening's fun was being talked over. "We want to go to Mrs.
Phillips's this time because she gives us such good cakes."

"It's pretty far," said Molly doubtfully. "It is almost to the
village, and there are some rough boys down that way. I