"I'm so sorry, mamma," said Marty, "but I didn't know he'd be going to sleep at this time." "It is sooner than usual, but he seemed so sleepy and was so fretful, I thought I would just give him his dinner early, and put him to sleep before our lunch." "Maybe he will lie on the bed with me, and go to sleep that way, as he did the other day," suggested Marty, who was always very ready to make amends for any mischief she had caused. "Wont Freddie come and lie down beside sister?" "No, no, no!" said Freddie, shaking his curly head and pushing Marty away with his foot. "I'll tell you a pretty story," said Marty coaxingly. "No, no," said the little boy. "Pretty story about the three bears." At this mention of his favorite story Freddie began to relent, and presently stretched out his arms to Marty. Mrs. Ashford put him on the bed, and he cuddled up to Marty while she told him the thrilling story of the Great Huge Bear, the Middle-sized Bear, and the Little Small Wee Bear; but long before she came to the place where little Silver Hair was found, Freddie was fast asleep. "What were you going to ask me, Marty?" inquired her mamma, when they were seated at lunch. "Oh, yes!" said Marty, in her excitement laying down her fork and twisting her napkin. "I was going to ask you if I might have a box to put tenths in, and if I mayn't belong to the mission-band." "I thought you didn't want to belong to the band." "Well, I didn't before, but I do now. I didn't know till this morning how nice it is. Mrs. Howell and Edith have been telling me all about giving money systematically, and showing me verses in the Bible; and so I thought I'd like to give some of my money, and go with Edith to the mission meeting next Saturday, if you will let me." "Of course you may go if you wish." "And may I have a box to put my money in?" "Yes." "Where shall I get it?" "I'll give you one," said Mrs. Ashford, laughing. "Will that cardinal and gilt one of mine be suitable for the purpose?" "_Will_ you give me that beauty? Thank you ever so much," and Marty flew around the table to kiss her mother. When they went up stairs Mrs. Ashford got out the pretty box, and, at Marty's desire, wrote on the bottom of it, "Martha Ashford," and the date. Marty, after excessively admiring and rejoicing over it, made a place for it in the corner of one of her drawers. Then she consulted her mother how to begin with the tenths. "I haven't any of this week's money left," she said--in fact she seldom had any of her weekly allowance over--"but I have twenty-seven cents of my Christmas money yet. Had I better take a tenth of that, or wait and begin with my next ten cents?" Her mother thought it would be best, perhaps, to keep the twenty-seven cents for "emergencies," and begin the tenths with the next week's money. "But one penny will be very little to take to the meeting," said Marty. "How would it do to put in two more as a thank-offering for something or other?"