"He is here," said Sally, touching the loaf. "He was ready to go, and chose to pass into your bread rather than any other, for he said he loved you and would be glad to help feed so good a little girl." "How kind of him! I must be careful to grow wise and excellent, else he will be disappointed and have died in vain," said Lily, touched by his devotion. Then, bidding them all farewell, she hugged her loaf close, wished three times to be in her own home, and like a flash she was there. Whether her friends believed the wonderful tale of her adventures I cannot tell; but I know that she was a nice little housekeeper from that day, and made such good bread that other girls came to learn of her. She also grew from a sickly, fretful child into a fine, strong woman, because she ate very little cake and candy, except at Christmas time, when the oldest and the wisest love to make a short visit to Candy-land. * * * * * [Illustration: Poor Billy dangling from a bough, high above the ground. PAGE 43.] HOW THEY RAN AWAY Two little boys sat on the fence whittling arrows one fine day. Said one little boy to the other little boy,-- "Let's do something jolly." "All right. What will we do?" "Run off to the woods and be hunters." "What can we hunt?" "Bears and foxes." "Mullin says there ain't any round here." "Well, we can shoot squirrels and snare woodchucks." "Haven't got any guns and trap." "We've got our bows, and I found an old trap behind the barn." "What will we eat?" "Here's our lunch; and when that's gone we can roast the squirrels and cook the fish on a stick. I know how." "Where will you get the fire?" "Got matches in my pocket." "I've got a lot of things we could use. Let's see." And as if satisfied at last, cautious Billy displayed his treasures, while bold Tommy did the same. Besides the two knives there were strings, nails, matches, a piece of putty, fish-hooks, and two very dirty handkerchiefs. "There, sir, that's a first-rate fit-out for hunters; and with the jolly basket of lunch Mrs. Mullin gave us, we can get on tip-top for two or three days," said Tommy, eager to be off. "Where shall we sleep?" asked Billy, who liked to be comfortable both night and day. "Oh, up in trees or on beds of leaves, like the fellows in our books. If you are afraid, stay at home; I'm going to have no end of a good time." And Tommy crammed the things back into his pockets as if there were no time to lose. "Pooh! I ain't afraid. Come on!" And jumping down Billy caught up his rod, rather ashamed of his many questions. No one was looking at them, and they might have walked quietly off; but that the "running away" might be all right, both raced down the road, tumbled over a wall, and dashed into the woods as if a whole tribe of wild Indians were after them. "Do you know the way?" panted Billy, when at last they stopped for breath.