S ALARMS, 238

XVIII. WHOM SHALL SHE PITY, 264

XIX. MIDNIGHT TIDINGS OF GREAT JOY, 279

XX. WHEN THE WORLD WENT WELL, 297

XXI. AN APRIL GIRL, 312

XXII. POLLY AND PHIL, 330

XXIII. PRIMROSE, 342

XXIV. THE OLD AND THE NEW, 364

A LITTLE GIRL IN OLD PHILADELPHIA.

CHAPTER I.

HERE AND THERE.

She was swinging her gingham sunbonnet, faded beyond any recognition of
its pristine coloring, her small hand keeping tight hold of the strings.
At every revolution it went swifter and swifter until it seemed a
grayish sort of wheel whirling in the late sunshine that sent long
shadows among the trees. When she let it go it flew like a great bird,
while she laughed sweet, merry childish notes that would have stirred
almost any soul. A slim, lithe little maid with a great crop of yellow
hair, cut short in the neck, and as we should say now, banged across the
forehead. But it was a mass of frowzy curls that seemed full of
sunshine.

With two or three quick leaps she captured it again and was just
preparing for her next swirl.

"Primrose! Primrose! I think thee grows more disorderly every day. What
caper is this? Look at these strings, they are like a twisted rope. And
if thy bonnet had gone into the pond! For that matter it needs the
washtub."

Primrose laughed again and then broke it in the in the middle with a
funny little sound, and glanced at the tall woman beside her, who was
smoothing out the strings with sundry pinches.

"Certainly thou art a heedless girl! What thou wilt be----" She checked
herself. "Come at once to the kitchen. Wash thy face and hands and comb
out that nest of frowze. Let me see"--surveying her. "Thou must have a
clean pinafore. And dust thy shoes."

Primrose followed Aunt Lois in a spell of wonderment. The scolding was
not severe, but it was generally followed by some sort of punishment. A
clean pinafore, too! To be set on a high stool and study a Psalm, or be
relegated to bread and water, and, oh! she was suddenly hungry. Down in
the orchard were delicious ripe apples lying all about the ground. Why
had she not gone and taken her fill?

She scrubbed her face with her small hands until Aunt Lois said, "That
is surely enough." Then she wet her hair and tugged at the tangles, but
as for getting it straig