"Anybody--anybody going with him?"

"He talks of taking the Deacon," said Abner, dryly, as he began to
wrench off the wheels, and grease them.

"Madge, Madge, where are you?" called 'Ria, from the side door.
"Come into the house; I have something to tell you."

It was just as I expected. I was going to Bloomingdale to-morrow. The
news had been kept from me till the last possible moment, for when I
was excited about anything, I was noisier than ever, and as Ruthie
said, "stirred up the house dreadfully."

Next morning father tucked me into the chaise, behind old Deacon. I
didn't know why it was, but I couldn't help thinking about the
hatchet, and wondering mother should have taken so much pains to get
such a naughty girl ready. I had been told I might stay till after
apple-gathering, and I was glad, for I wanted to make Fel as lonesome
as she had made me those two weeks she spent in Boston. I had never
been away from home but twice to stay over night, and my playmates
couldn't any of them know my true value, of course.

But as I looked at the dear friends on the piazza, growing dearer
every minute, especially mother, I had my doubts whether I cared much
about cousin Lydia's apples.

"She'll be back with father," remarked Ned, "as homesick as a kitten."

"Just you see if I do!"

It was well we were driving away just then, for my brave laugh came
very near ending in a sob.

"I'm on business," said father, whipping up the Deacon, "and shall
come back to-morrow; but you can do as you please, Totty-wax--you can
come with me, or wait a month or six weeks, and come with cousin
Lydia."

I was disposing, privately, of a stray tear, and could not answer.

"Your cousin will take the cars," said he.

"Take the cars!" I slipped off the seat, and stood upright in my
surprise. The railroad had only just been laid to one corner of
Willowbrook, and I had never taken a car in my life; had never seen
one; didn't even know how it looked. This had been a great
mortification to me ever since Fel went to Boston.

"O, father," cried I, whirling round and getting caught in the reins,
"did you say the cars? I s'posed cousin Lydia would come in a wagon,
and I didn't know 's I cared about staying. _Did_ you say the cars?"

"There, there; don't fall out over the Deacon's back. Did you ever
hear what the water-wagtail said?"

Then I knew father was laughing at me. When I was so happy I
couldn't keep still, he often asked me if I e