"It does not seem right!" admitted the matron; "but, you see, sometimes there is no choice. Either a child must work or go to an institution, and we strain every point to keep them in their homes."
"We will drive back with Sandy," said Aunt Sarah as they got into the wagon.
"Can't Nellie come too?" asked Nan. "There is plenty of room."
The matron said yes, and so the little party started off for a ride along the pretty road.
"I was never in a carriage before in all my life," said Nellie suddenly. "Isn't it grand!"
"Never!" exclaimed the other girls in surprise.
"No," said Nellie. "I've had lots of rides in trolley cars, and we had a ride in a farm wagon the other day, but this is the first time I have ever been in a carriage."
Aunt Sarah was letting Sandy drive, and he, of course, was delighted. Freddie enjoyed it almost as well as Sandy did, and kept telling him which rein to pull on and all that. Old Bill, the horse, knew the road so well he really didn't need any driver, but he went along very nicely with the two little boys talking to him.
"We will stop and have some soda at the postoffice," said Mrs. Bobbsey. For the postoffice was also a general store.
This was good news to everybody, and when the man came out for the order Aunt Sarah told him to bring cakes too.