"You are the most provoking bird," she said, "keeping everybody waiting, and you so small you could go in one's pocket, if only you hadn't wings."

Alice lost her patience before Peggy did. "We ought to be going home,"

she said. "Mother'll wonder what has become of us."

"All right, go home if you want to. I'm going to stick right here until he gets hungry and goes into his house."

"Perhaps I'll come back again," said Alice.

It seemed lonely after Alice had left her. Peggy was tired of keeping still. She took one run across the Thornton place, but this seemed to disturb the canary, so she flung herself down on the gra.s.s.

"I'll look away while I count a hundred," she said.

She counted a hundred and when she looked back, there was the canary in his cage, and she had not seen him go in. It was too provoking. She climbed up, breathless with excitement, and shut the door.

CHAPTER VIII

THE REWARD

Mr. Butler was just coming back from his work as Peggy reached the gate of his house.

"I've got him," she called triumphantly.

"Bless my soul!" said the old man. "Have you been waiting for him all this time?"

"Yes," said Peggy

"What a patient little girl you are."

He put his hand in his trousers' pocket and pulled out a roll of bills.

He looked them over until he came to a crisp, new, five-dollar bill which he handed to Peggy.

Peggy ran all the way home, with the five-dollar bill clasped in her hand. She had never once thought of the money while she was watching the canary. He was so beautiful, with his yellow feathers against the branches of the tree, with the blue sky above him, and his song was so wonderful, that she had not thought about any reward. But now that she had the money, she felt as if some one had given her a fortune, for she had never had so much money at once, in all her short life. Now she could get the hat, for it did not cost nearly five dollars; and there would be some money left to buy--what should she buy? Something for Alice and her mother.

"Oh, mother," she said, as she burst into the room, "I got him, and see what Mr. Butler gave me! Now I can get my new hat!"

"You don't mean to say you took money for doing a kindness?" said Mrs.

Owen.

"He gave it to me," said Peggy.

"Yes, so I understood, but, my dear little girl, the Butlers haven't any more money than we have. They are poor people. Five dollars means a great deal to them."

"He seemed to want to give it to me," said Peggy.

"That was very kind, but you ought to have said, 'I didn't think of the reward. I shouldn't feel it right to be paid for doing a kindness. I am sure my mother wouldn't want me to keep the money.'"

"But I never thought about you. Truly, mother, you never once came into my head. And I did not think it was being paid. I thought it was kind of a thank-offering."

"Well, we'll take the money back as soon as supper is over," said Mrs.

Owen.

Peggy ate her supper in silence. She was sure her mother could not know how much she wanted the new hat. And to think she felt so sure of having it, and then to have it s.n.a.t.c.hed away was hard! And she was afraid Mr.

Butler's feelings would be hurt; for she was sure he did not think of a reward, but a thank-offering.

After supper Mrs. Owen and the two children went down the street to Mrs.

Butler's house. It was pleasant to see the canary-bird in his cage in the window. He was silent, as if he were tired out with the excitement of the day. Peggy felt tired, too, and she thought, "If I were only the kind of little girl who cried, I should cry now, because I am so disappointed about the hat."

Mrs. Butler's daughter Flora had just come in from the milliner's shop.

She was wearing a pretty hat, with a wreath of wild roses around it.

"Well, Peggy, I hear you have found the most important member of the family," said Flora. "I'm sure they wouldn't take on half so bad if I was lost."

"I guess you could find your way home if you were lost," said Peggy.

They begged Mrs. Owen and the children to sit down and have supper with them.

"Thank you, but we have had our supper," said Mrs. Owen. "I only came down for a minute, just to say how good you were to give my little girl the five dollars, but I could not let her keep it. I don't want her to feel she is to be benefited in any other way when she does a kindness, except having the pleasure that comes from helping somebody."

"I thought I'd like to have the pleasure of helping somebody," said Mr.

Butler. "I offered the reward, and she seemed real pleased to get it."

"Of course, she was pleased," said Peggy's mother. "But I am sure it was not the idea of the reward that started her out to find the canary. So, if you please, Mr. Butler,"--and Mrs. Owen handed him the five-dollar bill as she spoke,--"I'd rather you kept this. We've always been good friends and neighbors, and I am glad if my little girl has been able to help you, and sometime, I am sure, you and Mrs. Butler will be ready to help me."

Mrs. Butler had been watching Peggy's face. She saw she was sorry not to have the money, and she shrewdly guessed there was something she wanted very much that the five dollars would buy.

"I see just the way your ma feels," said Mrs. Butler, "but it does seem as if Sol might make you a little present. Can you think of anything you would like?"

"Yes," said Peggy promptly, "the hat in the milliner's window with the ribbon with the blue edge."

"My dear little girl--?" began Mrs. Owen.

"That is just the thing," said Mrs. Butler. "I'm sure Sol will be real pleased to give it to you."

Mrs. Owen was about to say it was too much of a present, but she looked at Peggy's shining eyes and then at Mrs. Butler's beaming face. Who was she to stand out against these two? If it were indeed more blessed to give than to receive, Mr. and Mrs. Butler were getting their reward.

So the next day a paper box arrived at the Owens' door for "Miss Peggy Owen, with the compliments and grat.i.tude of her friend Sol."

Oh, joy of joys! It was the hat. Peggy tried it on, and it was even nicer than she had thought, for it was so light, and it had such a good brim. She went down that very afternoon to make a special call on Mrs.

Butler and Sol; and the canary sang again his melodious song.

CHAPTER IX