"That's so," cried the twins.
"Not that it's really worth while, either," added Mr. Starbird; "for, as I said, it was only—"
"But there isn't the least harm in going out to see," said Mary and the twins, and William Parlin, all in a breath, as they started on a run for the barn. Patty slipped down from her mother's arms and followed.
"Me! Me! Let me go first," she cried. And before any one else could do it, her swift little feet were mounting the ladder, and next minute tripping over the scaffold.
"O, look! O, catch! Here it is! Here is my dolly all up in the corner, and here's a pocket round her neck!"
Dorcas, who was always rather nervous, sat on the barn floor and laughed and cried herself into such a state that Mr. Starbird had to give her his arm to help her back to the house.
There was a great time, you may be sure, when Patty shook the pocket before everybody's eyes, and James rang the twenty-dollar piece on the brick hearth to make sure it was good gold. Dorcas was so excited that pink spots came in both her cheeks, and even James did not know what to think. Betsey Gould started right off to Dr. Potter's, where Siller Noonin happened to be, to tell Siller the story. Dorcas kept having little spasms of laughing and crying, and the whole household had rather a frightened look; for it was the most marvellous dream they ever heard of.
"Well, mother, what do you think now of dreams?" said Moses. "Guess you'll have to give it up."
Mrs. Lyman had been in her bedroom to put the gold piece into her drawer, and she now came back and took up her stocking-basket, as if nothing had happened.
"I will tell you to-morrow what I think of dreams, Moses.—Hush, Patty, I am afraid we shall be sorry you found your dollar, if it makes you so noisy."