eached the tree he was half way to the top.

"We can't climb that," said a fourth-grade pupil disconsolately.
"All the branches have been cut to keep it off the ground. How'll we
ever get that hat back?"

But Miss Mason had no intention of losing her best hat, and she was
already telephoning for one of the town firemen to come and bring his
longest ladder. When he heard that he was to rescue a monkey he was
indignant; then when she reminded him of the reward, he thought that
after all he might be able to do it. So the children had the fun of
watching him come with his ladder and climb up to get, after some
difficulty, both monkey and hat.

Dear knows when the children would have gone back to school after the
monkey was brought down, for he proved to be a friendly animal and was
evidently used to petting, and every one was eager to make his
acquaintance, but Miss Wright finally came out and ordered them all
into the building, and after that affairs gradually settled down. But
many were the secret wishes that every school day could start with a
monkey hunt.

At noon Meg and Bobby had so much to tell, and the twins were so
interested and so full of self-pity to think that they couldn't go to
school and find monkeys in the cloak room that Mother Blossom's piece
of news was almost overlooked.

"I have something nice to tell you," she said at last, smiling
mysteriously, as she helped them to pudding.

"Something nice?" puzzled Meg. "Can Annabel Lee sleep on my bed?"

Meg was sure that the comfortable kitchen was not comfortable enough
for the cat, and she teased persistently to be allowed to have Annabel
Lee sleep at the foot of her bed at night.

"Nothing at all to do with Annabel Lee," said Mother Blossom. "This is
something that will please you all. Don't play with your spoon,
Bobby--you'll be late going back to school."

"Company?" demanded Twaddles, who was very hospitable.

"You saw the letter come," laughed Mother Blossom. "Well, I'll have to
help you this much--we _are_ going to have company."

"I know," cried Meg, almost choking over her pudding. "I know! Aunt
Polly's coming! Oh, goody!"

"Is she, Mother?" asked Bobby delightedly. "Honest? When? Soon? Can we
go to meet her?"

"Yes, she's coming," replied Mother Blossom. "Not right away. About a
week before Thanksgiving, she says, and then she'll stay over the
holiday."

"Oh, that's ever so far off," objected Twaddles. "I thought maybe
she'd come to