nne good-bye, and started for home.

"We must bring all our chairs into the kitchen to-night, Anne," said Aunt
Martha, as soon as supper was finished, "for even then I doubt if there be
seats enough for our company."

"I had best bring in my long bench from the shed," said Captain Enos;
"'twill be just the thing to put a row of Starkweather boys on."

"The youngest is but two years old," said Mrs. Stoddard; "'Tis like he
will find our bed a good resting place."

Mr. and Mrs. Cary with Amos and Amanda were the first to arrive, and as
they came in Captain Enos put two big pieces of pitch pine on the fire. In
a moment it blazed up making the kitchen as light as day.

The Starkweathers, climbing up the sandy hill, saw the bright light
shining through the windows of the little house, and Mrs. Starkweather
exclaimed:

"Does it not look cheerful? To think of us all coming to a merrymaking! It
was surely a kind thought of Mistress Stoddard's."

"Shall we play games?" asked Daniel, the boy next younger than Jimmie.

"It may be," answered his mother, "and you boys must be quiet and not
rough in your play. Remember there is a little girl in the house."

The youngest Starkweather boy, carried carefully by his father, was sound
asleep when they reached the Stoddards', and was put comfortably down on
Mrs. Stoddard's big bed, while the others gathered around the fire.

"Sit you here, boys," directed Captain Enos, pointing to the long bench,
"and you girls can bring your stools beside me. I have a fine game for you
to play. Do you see this shining brass button? 'twas given me in Boston,
and came from the coat of a British soldier. Now we will play 'Button'
with it," and the captain, with a few whispered words to Jimmie
Starkweather, slid the shining button into his hand, and "Button, button!
who's got the button?" was soon being laughingly asked from one to another
as the brass button went from Jimmie to Amos, passed into Anne's hand and
swiftly on to Amanda, and back to Jimmie before Captain Enos could locate
it.

"Look!" exclaimed one of the younger Starkweather boys. "Mistress Stoddard
is pouring syrup into a kettle!"

"Yes, my boy," said Captain Enos laughingly, "and now you will all be glad
that I had a good trip to Boston, for I brought home a keg of fine
molasses, and now you will have some first-class candy!"

There were many exclamations of surprise and pleasure, even the older
members of the party declaring that