It was a bright, fresh Saturday afternoon in October, and Johnny, who had found it a little hard to settle down into school habits again, after the freedom of the vacation at the farm, remarked at the dinner-table that he knew just how the horses felt when they went kicking up their heels all over the pasture, after having been in harness all day.  
“And where do you propose to kick up your heels this afternoon?” inquired Mrs. Leslie, as she filled Johnny’s plate for the second time with Indian pudding.
 
“That’s just what I wanted to consult with you about, mamma,” said Johnny, “there’s a base-ball match over at the south ground, and a tennis match at the new court; it’s just the same to get in for either. I’ve enough of my birthday money left, and I thought if Tiny’d like to go, I’d take her to see the tennis, I mean, of course, if you’re willing—but if she couldn’t go, I’d go to see the base-ball match.”
 
Now Tiny, although she was only a small girl, had that treasure which Miss Ann considered so desirable—“a heart at leisure from itself,” and she felt very sure that Johnny would rather help do the at one base-ball match, than watch a dozen games of tennis, so she said at once,—
 
“Oh thank you, Johnny, you’re very kind, but if mamma will let me, I’m going to ask Kitty to come this afternoon, and help me dress my new doll, and cover the sofa you made me.”
 
Mrs. Leslie understood quite well the little sudden sacrifice which Tiny had made, but she was not going to spoil it by talking about it, so she only said,—
 
“Yes indeed—I always like you to play with Kitty. Ask her to come to tea, and then Johnny will have a share of her too. And if you’ll ‘fly ’round,’ you and I can make some snaps, first, and then, with the cold chicken and some dressed celery, we shall have quite a company tea.”
 
Tiny’s face fairly shone. Of all things, she enjoyed her mother make cake, and it would be especially nice to-day, because the maid-of-all-work was going out for the afternoon, and they would have the kitchen quite to themselves. And Johnny, who really did prefer the base-ball match very much, was satisfied. He could take his fun without feeling that he was taking it selfishly. It was only one o’clock, and the match did not begin until two, so Johnny sprang up, saying,—
 
“I’ll help you ‘fly ’round’! Load me up for the cellar, Tiny.”
 
Two loadings up cleared the table of all the eatables, and a race, which was a little dangerous to the dishes, was just beginning, when Mrs. Leslie said,—
 
 
“If you’ll do an errand for me, Johnny, I can take a nice little nap, after Tiny and I have finished. I don’t think it will make you late for your base-ball match, if you start at once, for you need not come home again before you go to the ground.”
 
“Now, mamma!” and Johnny’s tone was slightly injured as he , “don’t you suppose I’d do it for you, and like to do it, even if it made me late? You shouldn’t say ‘if’ at all! Waiting orders!”
 
And he stood up stiffly, drawing his heels together, and his cap.
 
Mrs. Leslie laughed, but she kissed him, too.
 
“There’s a bundle in it,” she said, “quite a large bundle—some work to be taken to your friend Mrs. Waring, upon whom you have called so many times at my invitation. I’m afraid, from what one of her neighbors told me yesterday, that the poor woman has had very little work lately, and less than very little money; so I have hunted up all I could for her. And please tell her, Johnny, that I have some things for Phil, which I will give her when she brings the work home; and to please bring it as soon as she can. She will find two car tickets in the bundle.”
 
“Couldn’t you roll ’em up with the work, and let me take ’em to her now, mamma?” asked Johnny.
 
“Why, yes,” said Mrs. Leslie, “if it would not be too heavy for you; but the other bundle is quite as large as this, dear. Do you think you can manage so much?”
 
Johnny lifted Tiny, swung her round once, and set her down with a “There!”
 
 
“The double load would certainly not be so heavy as Tiny,” said Mrs. Leslie, “so I will tie them together at once.”
 
While his mother did this, Johnny marched up and down, whistling, with Polly on his shoulder. Then a bright idea struck him: he put Polly down, ran for his shinny stick, thrust it through the , and the bundle over the shoulder where Polly had just been.
 
“I’ll pretend I’m an , starting for the ‘Far West,’” he said. “Goodbye, my dear mother, my dear sisters!” and, with a heart-rending , followed by a wild down the walk, Johnny was gone.
 
Now the particular horse car which he was to take only came along every half-hour. He saw one as he walked up the cross street, about a block away, and was just going to shout, when he heard a crack and a “flop”; the shinny stick flew up in the air, and, turning round, he saw his bundle, a bundle no longer, but a confused heap. The twine, worn through by the stick, had given way, and the paper had been burst by the fall.
 
Johnny gathered up the things as best he could, and was vainly trying to put them once more into portable shape, when a shop door opened, and a good-natured voice called,—
 
“Fetch them in here, sonny, and I’ll tie them up in a strong paper for you.”
 
He was only too glad to accept this good offer, and the pleasant-faced woman who had called him made a very neat parcel out of the which he had brought her, and tied it with a string. He thanked her very , afraid of offending her if he offered to pay for the paper and string and looking about the little shop for something he could buy.
 
A soft ball of bright-colored worsted caught his eye, and when he found the price of it was only ten cents, he quickly to buy it for Phil. He had missed his car, and had nearly half an hour to wait. He would be late for the match, but—
 
“Never mind,” he thought, “here’s a first-rate chance to keep from getting mad!”
 
So he talked cheerfully with the woman as she wrapped up the ball, and before the car appeared they were on very friendly terms, and parted with cordial goodbyes.
 
But his troubles were not over yet. He had not gone half a mile, when a “............