ry bird," returned Miss Marsh. "Don't
shrug your shoulders while I cut out this armhole. I might snip you
with the scissors."

That was something really to be dreaded, so Edna did stand very still
while the cold steel points circled her plump shoulder. "O, dear!" she
sighed, when the operation was finished, "I hope I sha'n't need any
more clothes for a year."

But even the discomfort of dress-fitting did not do away with the
pleasure the little girl felt in her pretty new frocks, and it seemed
no time before her trunk stood ready packed and she had said good-bye
to Gyp and Lilypaws, to Bobby in his cage, and to the chickens, each
and every one; her own special pet hen, Snowflake, being entreated not
to hatch out any new chickens till Edna should return.

It was rather a solemn moment, after all, when mamma hugged her and
kissed her, with the tears running down her cheeks; when the cook,
Jane, hoped they'd see her again; and when the boys thrust parting
gifts into her hands--Frank a small mouth organ, and Charlie a wad of
something which was afterward discovered to be taffy, wrapped in brown
paper; when Celia winked away the tear-drops from her lashes and
called her "precious little sister." It was therefore with the very
opposite of a smile upon her face that she climbed up the steps into
the car. But the dimples soon came back again as the car moved off,
and the boys, standing on a woodpile, cheered and waved their hats as
the little head at the window nodded good-bye.

It was quite a long journey to the city to which Edna was going, a
whole day and night to be on the cars, and after the first few hours
the little girl began to get very restless. Even the picture papers
her father bought her, and the little excitement of stopping once in a
while at a station, where could be seen queer-looking people, did not
serve to keep Edna from getting very tired; but it grew dark early,
and when the porter came in to make up the berths she felt that she
would be quite ready to clamber up into that funny little bed above
her papa's.

"It's just like being put away on a shelf," she laughed. "Suppose I
should tumble out, papa?"

"Then I think it would be better for you to take the lower berth," he
replied.

"O, no. I like it best up here. I can peep out better. Are you going
to bed, too, papa?"

"Not just yet. I am going to the smoking-car for a while. You go to
sleep, daughter, and I'll be back pretty soon."

It was som