Part 27 (1/2)

”You certainly have a lovely place here,” said Mrs. Bobbsey, as they got ready to leave, ”and you little girls will be quite strong and ready for school again when you go back to the city.”

”I don't go to school,” said Nellie rather bashfully.

”Why?” asked Aunt Sarah.

”Oh, I go to night school,” said the little girl. ”But in the daytime I have to work.”

”Why, how old are you?” asked Aunt Sarah.

”Twelve,” said Nellie shyly.

”Working at twelve years of age!” exclaimed Mrs. Bobbsey in surprise.

”What do you do?”

”I'm a cash-girl in a big store,” said Nellie with some pride, for many little girls are not smart enough to hold such a position.

”I thought all children had to go to school,” Aunt Sarah said to Mrs.

Manily.

”So they do,” replied the matron, ”but in special cases they get permission from the factory inspector. Then they can work during the day and go to school at night.”

”I think it's a shame!” said the mother. ”That child is not much larger than Nan, and to think of her working in a big store all day, then having to work at night school too!”

”It does not seem right!” admitted the matron; ”but, you see, sometimes there is no choice. Either a child must work or go to an inst.i.tution, and we strain every point to keep them in their homes.”

”We will drive back with Sandy,” said Aunt Sarah as they got into the wagon.

”Can't Nellie come too?” asked Nan. ”There is plenty of room.”

The matron said yes, and so the little party started off for a ride along the pretty road.

”I was never in a carriage before in all my life,” said Nellie suddenly. ”Isn't it grand!”

”Never!” exclaimed the other girls in surprise.

”No,” said Nellie. ”I've had lots of rides in trolley cars, and we had a ride in a farm wagon the other day, but this is the first time I have ever been in a carriage.”

Aunt Sarah was letting Sandy drive, and he, of course, was delighted.

Freddie enjoyed it almost as well as Sandy did, and kept telling him which rein to pull on and all that. Old Bill, the horse, knew the road so well he really didn't need any driver, but he went along very nicely with the two little boys talking to him.

”We will stop and have some soda at the postoffice,” said Mrs. Bobbsey.

For the postoffice was also a general store.

This was good news to everybody, and when the man came out for the order Aunt Sarah told him to bring cakes too.

Everybody liked the ice cream soda, but it was plain Nellie and Sandy had not had such a treat in a long time.