20 Two Lirrte Prierims’ PRoGRESS

’ She sprang up with a start, feeling bewildered a
second, before she answered. The City Beautiful was
such millions—such millions of miles away from Aunt
Matilda’s barn. She found herself breathing quickly
and rubbing her eyes as she heard Robin hurrying up
the ladder.

Somehow she felt as if he was rather in a hurry,
and when his small, black shock head and wide-
awake, black eyes appeared above the straw, she hada
vague feeling that he was excited and that he had come
- from another world. He clambered on to the stack,
and made his way to her and threw himself full
length on the straw at her side.

“Meg!” he said. “Hello! you look as if you were
ina dream! Wake up! Jones and Jerry are coming
to the barn. I hurried to get here before them.
They’re talking about something I want you to hear—
something new! Wake up!”

“Oh, Robin!” said Meg, clutching her book and
coming back to earth with a sigh. “I don’t want to
hear Jones and Jerry. I don’t want to hear any of
the people down there; I’ve been reading the Pzl-
grim’s Progress, and I do wish—I do so wish there
was a City Beautiful.”

Robin gave a queer little laugh. He really was
excited.