Rodolphus turned his head, and saw his sister looking down upon him from the top of the fence. "Ellen," said he, "is that you?" "Yes," said Ellen, "I would not trouble those poor girls. Let them have their cart." "Why, they could pull me just as well as not," said Rodolphus, "if they would only try. Come, girls," he added, "give one good pull, and then I will get out." The girls hesitated a moment, being obviously afraid that the cart would be broken. They looked up to Ellen, as if they hoped that in some way or other she could help them, but Ellen knew not what to do. So they concluded to submit to Rodolphus's terms. They made a desperate effort to draw the cart along a few steps, but the result which they had feared was realized. The cart went on, staggering, as it were, under its heavy burden, for a short space, and then a crack was heard, and one side of it sank suddenly down to the ground. The axletree had broken, close to the wheel. The children seemed greatly distressed at this accident. Rodolphus got out of the cart, and looked at the fracture----appearing perplexed in his turn, and not knowing what to say. The oldest girl took up the wheel, and began to examine the fracture with a very sorrowful countenance, while the youngest looked on, the picture of grief and despair. "Now, Mary," said the youngest child, in a very desponding tone, "I don't believe we can sell our cart at all." "Do you wish to sell it?" asked Ellen. "Yes," said Mary. "Father said that we might sell it, if we could find any body that would buy it; but now it is broken, I don't suppose that any body will." "How much do you ask for it?" said Ellen. "A quarter of a dollar," said Mary. "Well," replied Ellen, "perhaps _I_ will buy it. If you will bring it round to our house this evening after tea, I will get Antonio to look at it and see if it is worth a quarter of a dollar; or, rather, if it _was_ worth a quarter of a dollar before it was broken----for that will make no difference; and if he says it was, perhaps I may buy it." "Well," said Mary, "we will." "Is Beechnut coming to our house this evening?" asked Rodolphus. "Yes," said Ellen. The girls seemed much relieved of their distress at hearing this. Mary took up the broken wheel and put it into the cart, saying at the same time, "Come, Ally, let us carry it home." Mary stooped down to take hold of one side of the cart, while her sister took hold of the other, and so they lifted it up. "Rodolphus," said Ellen, "I think you had better help them carry the cart home." "Yes," said Rodolphus, "I will." So Rodolphus took the wheel out of the cart and gave it to Mary to carry, and then lifting up the cart bodily, he put it upside down upon his head, as if it were a cap, and then began to run after the girls with it. They fled, filling the air with shouts of laughter, and thus the three went off together, all in high glee.