ou couldn't have carried them, you'd got load enough
already; but with the donkey-cart it'll be different."

When Saturday came, and they began to load up the cart, the wisdom of
Tom's plan was only too plain. There were baskets of flowers and herbs,
one of eggs, and one of pears, a large hamper of apples, a sack of
potatoes, and hampers of turnips and carrots, beets, and onions, leeks,
and parsnips; not to mention a box of celery and one of tomatoes.

Bella laughed delightedly. "We shall be taking fowls and ducks too, some
day, perhaps!"

"And why not?" asked Tom.

"Yes, why not?" said Miss Hender quickly. "What a good thing! Why didn't
you think of it before, Bella? I could see to all that, and I could make
pretty nearly as much by them as all the fruit and flowers put together.
If I'd only thought of it,"--growing more and more enthusiastic--"I might
have got a pair of fowls ready to send in to-day. Never mind, I'll be
ready another time!" And from that chance word of Bella's began what they
later on laughingly called 'Aunt Emma's Poultry Farm.'

Charlie and Margery watched the proceedings that Saturday morning with
eyes full of envy and longing. They wanted so much to go too, and it did
seem hard to stay behind for the whole long, dull day.

"You must come to meet us," whispered Bella, "and you shall have a drive
home. We shan't be any earlier, for we're going to the hospital to see
father; then, if he's better, you and Charlie are to come in with us next
week to see him; Aunt Emma says so."

Bella in her pink frock, and Tom in his holland coat, clambered up into
the cart, and while Tom gathered up the reins Bella picked up the two most
precious of the baskets, and away they started.

Once clear of the lane, and out on the level high road, Rocket broke into
a smart little trot, and carried them along in fine style. To Bella it
seemed the very height of luxury and enjoyment to be getting over the
ground so quickly, and with no heavy load to carry. The first milestone
seemed to be reached in no time, but when they came to it Bella had to
turn away her head and blink hard, to keep the tears out of her eyes, so
vividly did the sight of it bring back the happy meetings there, and the
thought that not for weeks and weeks, if ever, would they all meet there
again.

It was a good thing for them both that they were not walking that day,
for the drive, the donkey, and the excitement of the new venture, hel