lifting
the covering of the cake. It was like an invitation, and breakfast
was several hours away. Elnora picked up a piece and ate it. That cake
tasted even better than it looked. Then she tried a sandwich. How did
her mother come to think of making them that way. They never had any at
home. She slipped out the fork, sampled the salad, and one-quarter of
pear. Then she closed the box and started down the road nibbling one
of the pickles and trying to decide exactly how happy she was, but she
could find no standard high enough for a measure.

She was to go to the Bird Woman's after school for the last load from
the case. Saturday she would take the arrow points and specimens to the
bank. That would exhaust her present supplies and give her enough money
ahead to pay for books, tuition, and clothes for at least two years. She
would work early and late gathering nuts. In October she would sell all
the ferns she could find. She must collect specimens of all tree leaves
before they fell, gather nests and cocoons later, and keep her eyes wide
open for anything the grades could use. She would see the superintendent
that night about selling specimens to the ward buildings. She must be
ahead of any one else if she wanted to furnish these things. So she
approached the bridge.

That it was occupied could be seen from a distance. As she came up she
found the small boy of yesterday awaiting her with a confident smile.

"We brought you something!" he announced without greeting. "This is
Jimmy and Belle--and we brought you a present."

He offered a parcel wrapped in brown paper.

"Why, how lovely of you!" said Elnora. "I supposed you had forgotten me
when you ran away so fast yesterday."

"Naw, I didn't forget you," said the boy. "I wouldn't forget you, not
ever! Why, I was ist a-hurrying to take them things to Jimmy and Belle.
My they was glad!"

Elnora glanced at the children. They sat on the edge of the bridge,
obviously clad in a garment each, very dirty and unkept, a little boy
and a girl of about seven and nine. Elnora's heart began to ache.

"Say," said the boy. "Ain't you going to look what we have gave you?"

"I thought it wasn't polite to look before people," answered Elnora. "Of
course, I will, if you would like to have me."

Elnora opened the package. She had been presented with a quarter of a
stale loaf of baker's bread, and a big piece of ancient bologna.

"But don't you want this yourselves?" she asked in s