lawyers are willin' to
pay a hundred dollars for either one of us three, I don't believe she
can do very much by talkin'," Joe said, reflectively, as he summed up
the situation according to his belief. "I expect she'll be terribly
disappointed when we see her again, 'cause she counts on straightenin'
things out in a jiffy."

"Do you s'pose Dan Fernald will hang 'round here till he gets a chance
to do her some mischief?"

"As soon as aunt Dorcas gets back I'm goin' to skirmish through them
trees, an', if he's there, it won't take more'n three minutes to make
him sick of this part of the country."

The boys were yet discussing what should be done to Dan to prevent him
from attempting to work more mischief, when a covered carriage, drawn by
two horses, whose harness was resplendent with silver, and driven by a
coachman in livery, turned from the highway into the lane leading to the
cottage.

"Hi, Joe!" Plums cried, excitedly. "See the swells what are comin' to
visit aunt Dorcas!"

"They want to ask the way somewhere, an' seein's we couldn't even tell
'em where the post-office is, I guess we'd better keep kind er shady.
Now the princess is awake! We'll have to show ourselves, 'cause she's
bound to make a noise," Joe added, as the little maid clambered upon his
knee.

"I'm goin'--Say, aunt Dorcas herself is in that funny rig!"

"What are you givin' me?" and Joe leaned forward eagerly, in order to
have a better view.

"It's her, dead sure! There! Look at that! What do you think, now?"

It was, indeed, as Master Plummer had said.

Aunt Dorcas was getting out of the carriage, assisted by a gentleman who
spoke to the driver in such a manner as one would expect from the owner
of the equipage, and immediately behind the little woman could be seen a
younger lady.

"I wonder if aunt Dorcas thinks them swells would help two chumps like
us out of our scrape!" Joe exclaimed. "If she does, her head ain't--"

"Papa! Papa!" the princess screamed in delight, as she pounded on the
window with her tiny fists, and instantly the gentleman left aunt Dorcas
to alight from the vehicle as best she could, while he ran at full speed
up the sharp ascent to the house.

"I'll be blowed, if aunt Dorcas hasn't found the princess's folks!" Joe
cried, as an expression of bewilderment came over his face. "That dude
is comin' in, an' we'd best leave."

Followed by Plums, Joe ran out of the kitchen door, just as the
gentleman came through