King,
laughing heartily at the performance, "and they wouldn't mind you in
the least if they did."
"I suppose not," said Jasper in chagrin. "Oh, the mean little beggars!"
"Hold up your apron," screamed Polly to the little girl.
"That's a good idea," said Jasper. "Why didn't we think of it before?"
"She won't understand any better than the boys," said old Mr. King.
"You forget, children, that these youngsters don't know our language."
"What a bother," exclaimed Jasper, "it is to have so many different
languages, anyway!"
"And she hasn't any apron, Polly," corrected her mother; "that is her
brown gown."
Polly was already going through the motions of holding up an imaginary
apron. And at last the little girl understood by gestures what she
could not possibly get into her head by words, so she picked up the
skirt of her gown in her sturdy little fists, and one, two, three
clinking coins fell safely into it. But the boys racing along in
advance soon discovered this successful trick, and completely swarmed
around her, howling dreadfully, so she hastened off, happy in her
prize, which she huddled up in her gown as she ran.
"Isn't this just richness?" exclaimed Polly, gazing all about her in an
ecstasy. "Oh, Jasper, what pictures we'll take--and do see that woman's
cap! and those pot-hooks of hair over her eyes, and that funny, long
dangling curl!"
"Take care, Polly, you almost stepped off backward down the bank,"
warned Adela, pulling her back, as they got off the steamboat and
stopped a bit to look around.
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