"Here's the boy," said Ben, as he lifted Toby up on the step, gave
him a gentle push to intimate that he was to get inside, and then
left him.
As Toby stepped inside he saw that the wagon was nearly full of
women and children; and fearing lest he should take a seat that
belonged to someone else, he stood in the middle of the wagon, not
knowing what to do.
"Why don't you sit down, little boy?" asked one of the ladies,
after Toby had remained standing nearly five minutes and the wagon
was about to start.
"Well," said Toby, with some hesitation, as he looked around at
the two or three empty seats that remained, "I didn't want to get
in anybody else's place an' I didn't know where to sit."
"Come right here," said the lady, as she pointed to a seat by the
side of a little girl who did not look any older than Toby; "the
lady who usually occupies that seat will not be here tonight, and
you can have it."
"Thank you, ma'am," said Toby, as he sat timidly down on the edge
of the seat, hardly daring to sit back comfortably, and feeling
very awkward meanwhile, but congratulating himself on being thus
protected from the pouring rain.
The wagon started, and as each one talked with her neighbor, Toby
felt a most dismal sense of loneliness, and almost wished that he was
riding on the monkey cart with Ben, where he could have someone to
talk with.
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