oing to gather flowers for grandmamma--and we're not midges,
uncle," said I, with a girl's protest.

"Ah! what are you, then, little fluffy hair?" was his smiling reply,
putting back my yellow curls from my forehead with his finger.

"Two busy people that don't like to be idle."

"Ah! well, go on, you make-believes; mind and be home by sundown, and
don't lose yourselves." Thus he admonished us; then he went his way, and
we ours.

"Sundown is a long time, isn't it, Nell?" remarked Jemmy; "and we're not
such sillies as to lose ourselves."

"No; uncle doesn't know how wise we are," I answered; and then we
travelled on all through the rich, ripe harvest-glory of cornfields.

But the harvest folk seemed very far off; the silent fields lay basking
in the sunshine, with the lengthening shadows stretching athwart them,
some with the golden grain cut and ready for carting, some still
standing awaiting the sickle. But no happy toilers were to be seen. Yes,
we alighted upon one, a lad sitting manufacturing a whistle-pipe, and
watching some sheep wandering in a field, where the wheat had been
reaped and gleaned.

"Where are the harvest folk?" questioned Jemmy, with dignity.

"Harvest folk, young sir! That's a wide question, 'cause them's
everywhere," replied the lad, with a grin.

"I don't see them," was the reply.

"I'm a harvest folk, and so is them--them's havin' their harvest,"
saying which the boy jerked his thumb in the direction of the sheep.

"They're not folk, they are sheep," dissented Jemmy, with scorn.

"Well, follow your noses, youngsters;' and you'll find some harvest
folk, if ye go far enough."

"He's a great rude boy, Nell, come away," quoth Jemmy to me, taking my
hand, and boy-like leading me on. And as we went we met a mite of a boy
of about Jemmy's age, with a small bundle of corn on his shoulder, like
a miniature man.

"Are you come from the harvest people?" asked Jemmy.

"Yes," was the child's reply.

"And where are they?"

"I don't know; ever so far away. I'm carrying home mother's corn." With
that the little man trudged on his way, and we went flitting here and
there, I picking corn-flowers, and Jemmy looking for fat toads and
shrews. And all the while our shadows standing by our sides warned us of
what would befall us ere long.

"I think," said I, presently, "that I'll sit down here by these sheaves
awhile;" but ere we had bent our tired little limbs, out flew a
beautiful bird from the