As he came nearer to her, he called out--
"Three guesses, Maud. What have I got in my hand?"
"Yes, it is a brown paper parcel; but what is in it? That is one guess. Now guess again."
"Not so large? then is it a small thing? I have lost my thimble, and I've broken my china cup, so perhaps you have brought me one. Stop, stop; I have not had my third guess yet. Let me see: I gave my skipping-rope to Sally Brown. Oh, Phil, is it a skipping-rope?"
"Yes," said he, "it is a skipping-rope with fine painted handles. It is the prettiest I could find in the shop."
"Oh, what a beauty!" said Maud; "it is far prettier than mine was. And what nice rope! Oh, Phil, how good of you!"
"Well, now let me see if you can skip with it," said Philip, giving it into her hands.
"It is splendid," said she; "it almost skips of itself. I never skipped with such a skipping-rope before. It is the thing I wanted most, Philip. How came you to think of it?"
"Why," said Philip, "that was not very hard. You gave your rope to little Sally because she was a poor little girl, and her mother could not buy one for her. So I thought it was the best present I could give you, and the best surprise, and I took a walk into Linton to the toy-shop there, and though I saw all sorts of toys, I only asked for skipping-ropes, and I bought the prettiest that the shop-keeper had to sell. I am glad you like it."
"Yes, I like it very much. I could skip all day with it."
"Well, don't do that, for I want to have a hopping-race with you, and then we will try the new jump. Where is it?"
"It is just at the end of the playground, over hurdles. They are not very high, and I think I can jump over them. I know you can, and now that you are here I will try."
And Maud put her skipping-rope into the brown paper, and laid it on the bench.
"We will hop down to the hurdles, and then we will have a grand jumping-match," said Philip.
[Illustration: "There's no compassion like a penny."]
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Patty was fifteen when she left home for the first time to pay a visit to her Aunt Martha in London. Patty's home was in the country (for her father was a farmer), so she was very eager to see all the wonders of London. Her father drove her into the market-town very early on the morning of her departure, and as it was a very busy day with him, he was obliged to leave her in the coach office all by herself, as the London coach was not expected to start for half an hour. Patty kissed her father with tears in her eyes, and he blessed her; and telling her to be a good girl and "not learn silly town ways," he strode off, whip in hand, towards the market-place, leaving Patty alone with her possessions.