THE FIRST ICE
"Water now has turned to stone,
Stone that I can walk upon."
One morning mother said, "Polly, will you go to the store for me? I need a can of corn. We must have it for dinner."
"May Peter go, too, mother?"
"Oh, yes, Peter may go, if he wishes. Run and find him."
Now Polly and Peter liked to go to the store. It belonged to their father. Sometimes they helped him unpack goods. Sometimes they sat still and watched the customers.
Sometimes he let them play keeping store. Once Polly had really sold some candy to another little girl.
But to-day they could not stay to play. They must get the can of corn for mother, and come home.
They went down the hill. At the railroad tracks they stopped. They looked for a train. They saw none, so they ran across the tracks.