But some
one of them always got the money.
"Dear me! they've eyes just like birds!" exclaimed Parson Henderson;
"to think of finding anything in that thick grass."
"Let them alone for that," laughed old Mr. King; "their wits are
sharpened by practice."
"Look out, Phronsie!" exclaimed Jasper. "Your stuivers went into the
water. Here, I'll hold you up, then you can throw it farther. There you
go," swinging her to his shoulder. "Now, then"--he guided her hand, and
away spun the coin.
"It did, it did," crowed Phronsie, from her high perch. "It did,
Jasper, go right straight down in the grass just like yours and
Polly's."
"So it did, Pet. Well, now, here is another."
"There's a little girl back there and she hasn't any," mourned
Phronsie. "Oh, dear, I want to give her some."
"To be sure," said Jasper. "Well, we must give her some, and that's a
fact." The small girl kept on at a dog-trot along the bank, her eyes
fixed on the wonderful people who tossed out such magic wealth, and
holding out her arms and singing her shrill song. But when the money
was thrown, she was always a bit too late, and the other children,
scrambling and scuffling, had pounced upon it, and had made off with
it.
"Here, you boys, keep away; you've had enough; we're going to give this
to the little girl," Jasper shouted to them as they threw coin after
coin.
"They don't know what you are saying, my boy," said old Mr.
Pages:
124
125
126
127
128
129
130
131
132
133
134
135
136
137
138
139
140
141
142
143
144
145
146
147
148