d been peeking out from behind the house,
came skipping down the path to the road. As she drew near, her
progress became slower; finally she stood still, and balanced herself
on one leg, like a stork.

"Hello," she said. Then she looked up and down the road, to see what
there was to talk about.

"I have a little house Mr. Jeminy made me out of boxes," she said at
last.

"No," said Anna.

"Well, that's a fact," said Juliet, who had once heard Mr. Frye say,
"Well, that's a fact," to Mr. Crabbe.

"My goodness," said Anna, "isn't that elegant?" And she looked down at
Juliet, who was staring solemnly up at her.

"Yes, it is," said Juliet.

"What were you doing," asked Anna, "when I came along?"

"I was playing going to Milford," said Juliet. "Do you want to play
with me?"

It seemed to Juliet that playing was something for any one to do.

Anna began to laugh. She had a mind to say, "Do you think I'm as
little as you are?" But instead, she found herself thinking, "Oh, my,
wouldn't it be fun."

"Why," she cried, "I declare, I do want to play with you."

"All right," said Juliet. And she turned soberly back to the barn,
behind the house. But Anna sat down in the grass. "Just you wait,"
she said, "till I get my shoes and stockings off. I'm going to play
proper."

Presently their happy voices, linked in laughter, rose from behind the
house, where Juliet was showing Anna how to play store. She tied her
apron around her little belly, and came forward rubbing her hands.
"Would you like some nice licorice?" she asked. "Everything's very
dear."

When she was tired of playing store, she began to imitate old Mrs.
Tomkins, the carpenter's wife. "This is the way to have the
rheumatism," she said. And she hopped around on one foot.

After they were through playing, they sat quietly together in the hay,
in the barn, without anything more to say. Anna was warm and happy;
she wanted to hug Juliet, to hold her tight, to rock up and down with
her. "There," she thought, "if I only had one like her."

"What are you thinking about?" she asked, to tease her.

"I was just thinking," said Juliet, "it's fun to play with people."

Anna felt her heart give a sudden twist. "Why, you dear, odd little
thing," she cried. And taking the child in her arms, she covered the
tiny head with kisses. But Juliet drew away.

"I'm not little," she said. "I'm old."

"So am I old," said Anna. She felt the joy run out of he