276 THE LAND OF PLUCK

Lotty’s. We’ve all been up to look through the bushes at
her. My! it’s splendid!”

“She looks like a angel,” put in one of the little girls,
“with the loveliest white shoes and—”

“Ho!” interrupted another scornfully. “They don’t
have no shoes on angels.”

“How you know ?”

“’Cause I seed a pictyer of em. Ain’t yer smart!”

“She had the elegantest ribbons onto her back, too,
Laviny,” spoke the big girl again. “But they took her
right indoors. ’Fraid of her bein’ so thin-dressed, I guess.

Ready, Laviny ? We want you right off”

“Where we going?” asked Laviny, all in a glow.

“Why, where we ’ve been fixin’ the things, to be sure.
Jake and Charley and Pete ’ll have the blossoms all tied
to the pole fore we get there. His daddy’s long rake-
handle makes a splendid one.”

“Do let me go—please do,” said Laviny, turning sud-
denly to her aunt. “Oh, can’t I?”

“Why, what ’s got inter yer, Laviny ?” said the aunt,
sharply ; “anybody ’d think I was a bear to hear you go on.
You hain’t got a clean smitch on you, but never mind; go get
your cape, it may blow up colder bimeby. Some o’ you ‘Il
have to help her ‘long a little,” she added, turning to the
children, as Laviny went back into the shanty ; “the poor
child ’s too much of a cripple to be May what-you-call-it.”

“Oh! no, she is n’t,” shouted two or three. “ We Il take
care of her.”

“We picked her out for that,” added a little girl quickly,
“and because she ’s so pretty and good.”