Part 10 (1/2)

”You are the most provoking bird,” she said, ”keeping everybody waiting, and you so small you could go in one's pocket, if only you hadn't wings.”

Alice lost her patience before Peggy did. ”We ought to be going home,”

she said. ”Mother'll wonder what has become of us.”

”All right, go home if you want to. I'm going to stick right here until he gets hungry and goes into his house.”

”Perhaps I'll come back again,” said Alice.

It seemed lonely after Alice had left her. Peggy was tired of keeping still. She took one run across the Thornton place, but this seemed to disturb the canary, so she flung herself down on the gra.s.s.

”I'll look away while I count a hundred,” she said.

She counted a hundred and when she looked back, there was the canary in his cage, and she had not seen him go in. It was too provoking. She climbed up, breathless with excitement, and shut the door.

CHAPTER VIII

THE REWARD

Mr. Butler was just coming back from his work as Peggy reached the gate of his house.

”I've got him,” she called triumphantly.

”Bless my soul!” said the old man. ”Have you been waiting for him all this time?”

”Yes,” said Peggy

”What a patient little girl you are.”

He put his hand in his trousers' pocket and pulled out a roll of bills.

He looked them over until he came to a crisp, new, five-dollar bill which he handed to Peggy.

Peggy ran all the way home, with the five-dollar bill clasped in her hand. She had never once thought of the money while she was watching the canary. He was so beautiful, with his yellow feathers against the branches of the tree, with the blue sky above him, and his song was so wonderful, that she had not thought about any reward. But now that she had the money, she felt as if some one had given her a fortune, for she had never had so much money at once, in all her short life. Now she could get the hat, for it did not cost nearly five dollars; and there would be some money left to buy--what should she buy? Something for Alice and her mother.

”Oh, mother,” she said, as she burst into the room, ”I got him, and see what Mr. Butler gave me! Now I can get my new hat!”

”You don't mean to say you took money for doing a kindness?” said Mrs.

Owen.

”He gave it to me,” said Peggy.

”Yes, so I understood, but, my dear little girl, the Butlers haven't any more money than we have. They are poor people. Five dollars means a great deal to them.”

”He seemed to want to give it to me,” said Peggy.

”That was very kind, but you ought to have said, 'I didn't think of the reward. I shouldn't feel it right to be paid for doing a kindness. I am sure my mother wouldn't want me to keep the money.'”

”But I never thought about you. Truly, mother, you never once came into my head. And I did not think it was being paid. I thought it was kind of a thank-offering.”