st trees. These she placed in a
large but pretty basket that once had been sent, filled with rare
fruit, to Bessie, from Philip, and the older girl sighed when she gave
it to her sister.

Then Katie started, leaving Robbie behind crying; and with a trembling
heart and a big lump in her throat, but bravely as a little soldier,
she made her way to the path by which the excursion parties would have
to return to the cars. Soon they began to come along, all tired,
trying to be merry ladies and gentlemen.

Katie stood with her basket on her arm. She did not know how pretty
she looked, with her brown curls floating out from beneath her big
sun-bonnet, her pure white apron, her dark dress which Bessie had made
from one of her own, with delicate bits of lace at the wrists, a
bright bit of ribbon about her throat and a plain little breast-pin
clasping it. Her big black eyes looked longingly at the passers-by,
her red lips tried, many times, to utter some words that would help
her sell her wares, but she could not speak, she could only up her
hand and _look_ her wants.

"What lovely leaves!" cried a young lady, "these of mine seem all
faded by the carrying, and I'm tired of the great load anyhow," and
she threw away a great lot tied round with her handkerchief, and
hastened toward the little merchant.

"What a pretty girl," said the young man with her.

"How much are these?" inquired the lady.

Bessie had not thought of what she would ask for her bunches, and now,
between pleasure and fright, she could not think of any price to put
upon them.

"Whatever you please, Miss," she faintly murmured.

"How lovely they are," said the lady, and taking three bunches, she
gave two to the young man with her, telling him: "Harry, you must
carry these, and pay the child," the third one she kept in her own
hand.

The gentleman put his hand in his pocket, drew it out, and dropped
into Katie's basket a silver dollar.

The tears almost blinded the little girl--tears of joy over her first
success--she could hardly see what the coin was, but when she picked
it up she managed to stammer that she "had no change."

"Don't want any, little one," said the young man pleasantly, "the
sight of you is worth all the money and more." Then the couple hurried
away.

But their stopping had attracted many more, and a dozen bought of
Katie, and, though few were as generous as her first customers, she
soon disposed of most of her stock at ten cents a