Phonny wishes to take Franco.

'Well," said Phonny, in a tone of great satisfaction; and he went to get his sled.

In a few minutes he came around to the place where Malleville was sitting, drawing his sled. The axe was tied upon it with a rope.

"Come, Franco," said Phonny.

Franco started up from his sleep, jumped down from Malleville's lap, and ran to Phonny. Now Phonny!" said Malleville, in a tone of complaint, "what did you call Franco away from me for ?"

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Why, he is going up in the woods with us,” said Phonny. Wallace said he might go."

"No," said Malleville; "Wallace said he might go if I was willing, and I am not willing. I want him to stay with me."

"Oh, no," said Phonny; "let him go with us; and I'll teach him to hunt. I shall see a squirrel, I know, and perhaps a rabbit or a fox, and I'll teach him to hunt them."

"No," said Malleville; "I don't wish to have him learn to hunt."

And, besides," said Phonny, "I will get you some snow-drops."

"I don't believe there are any snow-drops," said Malleville, despondingly.

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Yes, there are plenty of them, I've no doubt,"

Phonny's promises.

Malleville is not persuaded.

said Phonny. “I saw some green things growing by the rocks, up there where you saw me, and I have no doubt there are plenty of snowdrops away in the woods. I'll bring you down ever so many."

Phonny spoke very fast and very eagerly in saying these things; and Malleville, who was weak and feeble, was tired of arguing with him, though she was still unwilling to have Franco. go. She called Franco to her, but he was so much excited by seeing Phonny and the sled, and by the prospect of an expedition, that he would not come. So Malleville laid her head back upon her muff again, in a sort of despair, while Phonny began to draw his sled along, saying as he went away, "I'll bring him back to you in an hour or two, Mallie, and I'll bring you ever so many snow-drops too." He then ran along toward the pasture road, Franco leaping and capering about him, extremely delighted with the idea that he was going somewhere, though he did not know where.

There was a great gate which led from the yard behind the house to the pasture road. This gate was wide open. It was always left open in the winter. Phonny climbed up upon the top of one of the posts and sat there, wait

Phonny and Franco waiting for Wallace.

ing for Wallace. Franco waited below. He sat down by the side of the sled.

"That's right, Franco,” said Phonny; “you watch the sled and the axe, and I'll watch for Wallace."

Franco patted the snow two or three times with his tail, by way of acceptance of the trust

committed to him, and began to watch.

Malleville forgets her troubles.

A soliloquy.

CHAPTER II.

BEECHNUT.

MALLEVILLE felt very much disappointed and very sorry to have Franco go away. She was afraid that he would get lost in the woods. After a short time, however, she began to think of other things, and she soon forgot her trouble altogether.

The warm sun shone so pleasantly and cheerfully upon her, and the fresh, spring-like air produced so invigorating an effect as to make her feel quite bright and happy. She took her muff away from the corner, where she had placed it to serve for a pillow, and laid it down upon the platform, by her side, and then she began to sit upright in her chair, without any pillow. Then pretty soon afterward, she took off her tippet and laid it down upon her muff.

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'I think I'll take a little walk," said she. So she got up and began to walk along the piazza. As she walked, she talked to herself as follows:

"What a pleasant day, and how still it is.

The yard.

The plank walk.

Lilacs.

Hark! I can hear a dropping. I suppose the snow is beginning to melt, or else it is a woodpecker. I should like to see a woodpecker. I wonder if Phonny will see a woodpecker up in the woods to-day. Oh, dear me! I wish Phonny would not take Franco away from me so.

Between the platform where Malleville was walking and the garden, there was a very pleasant little yard, and the sun shone so warm upon this yard that the snow had been entirely melted away from the part next the house, so that Malleville could see the walks and the grass-plots-only the grass was not yet green. Malleville wondered how soon it would be green. She saw that the ground was dry, and so she stepped down and began to walk upon it. She presently saw a plank walk leading along by the side of the yard, and as she was not quite sure that it was right for her to go upon the ground, she went to the plank walk and stepped upon that. Then she concluded that she would walk along upon the planks a little way, they were so warm and sunny.

The plank walk led to the clothes yard. Malleville walked along upon it between some rose and lilac bushes on one side and the side of a shed upon the other, until she came to a