"Yes, and me a silver dollar," cried Patty.
"'And it distressed me bad,' said Israel, 'for Siller Noonin up and said that either she stole it, or I did. But it's come to me lately,' said Israel, 'what must have 'come of that money! I never took it; bless you, I never stole a pin! But I see that little Patty to play out in the barn with one of her rag babies.'"
"O, I never," exclaimed Patty.
"Don't interrupt," whispered one of the twins, deeply interested.
"You know I am only telling a silly dream, my dear," said Mr. Starbird. "This little man said he saw Patty playing on the scaffold before the hay was got into the barn, and she had something round her doll's neck that looked like a pocket. He didn't know any more than that; but he 'sort of mistrusted' that she might have left the doll on the scaffold, and the men might have pitched hay right on top of it."
"Sure enough," exclaimed Dorcas, with a nervous laugh; "who knows but she did?"
"Have you lost a doll, Patty?" asked William Parlin.
"No; I never."
"O, she doesn't know when she loses dolls," said Rachel; "she always keeps more than a dozen or so on hand."
"Well, I was going to say," continued Mr. Starbird, "you could easily find out whether there was any meaning to my dream. If there is a doll up there on the scaffold, the hay is getting so low you could scrape round and find it."