AT THE LITTLE BROWN HOUSE

 BY RUTH ALBERTA BROWN

Author of "Tabitha at Ivy Hall, " "Tabitha's Glory, " "Tabitha'sVacation, " etc. , etc. 

THE SAALFIELD PUBLISHING COMPANYCHICAGO AKRON, OHIO NEW YORK_MADE IN U. S. A. _

COPYRIGHT, MCMXIIIBy THE SAALFIELD PUBLISHING COMPANY

[Illustration: "I should say it sounded like a plain robber story, " saidFaith bitterly, while Gail sat white-faced and silent with despair. ]

CONTENTS

 I. A MORNING CALLER

 II. THE MINISTER'S RECEPTION

 III. SHOES AND STRAWBERRIES

 IV. LITTLE FLOWER GIRLS

 V. SACKCLOTH AND ASHES

 VI. THANKSGIVING DAY AT THE BROWN HOUSE

 VII. PEACE SURPRISES THE LADIES' AID

 VIII. A MYSTERIOUS SANTA CLAUS

 IX. FAITH'S AWAKENING

 X. COMPANY FOR SUPPER

 XI. GARDENS AND GOPHERS

 XII. THE RASPBERRY PATCH

 XIII. PEACE GETS EVEN

 XIV. PEACE, THE GOOD SAMARITAN

 XV. PEACE COLLECTS DAMAGES

 XVI. THE STATE FAIR CAKE

 XVII. THE CIRCUS AND THE MISSIONARY

 XVIII. THE HAND-ORGAN MAN

 XIX. HEARTBREAK

 XX. AT THE BROKER'S OFFICE

 XXI. SURPRISES

AT THE LITTLE BROWN HOUSE

CHAPTER I

A MORNING CALLER

It was a glorious morning in early June; the dew still hung heavy oneach grass blade and leaf, making rainbow tapestries that defydescription, as the waking sunbeams stole into the heart of each rounddrop and nestled there; the fresh, cool air was sweet with the breath ofa thousand flowers; a beautiful bird chorus filled the earth withriotous melody as the happy-hearted songsters flitted from tree to treesaying, "Good morning, " to their neighbors. Through a mass of rosyclouds in the east, the sun struggled up over the hilltop and smileddown on the sleeping village of Parker as if trying to coax the dreamersto arise and behold the beauties of the dawning day. In the barn-yardsof the little farms scattered around about the town roosters werecrowing, hens were clucking, cattle lowing, and horses stamping andneighing, eager for their breakfast. 

Old Towzer, from his bed on the porch of the little brown house, almostbidden by tall maples and wide-spreading elms, stretched and yawned, perked up his ears, listened intently, then rose stiffly, shook hisheavy coat and leisurely descending the steps, circled around the placeto see whether anyone was yet astir. The door slammed at the green houseon the farm adjoining, from the little red cottage across the fieldscame the sound of a busy ax, and down by the creek some early riserwhistled merrily as he went about his morning work. All this old Towzerheard, and strolling back to his place on the porch, he looked up at thechamber window above him and barked sharply. The drawn curtain flew upwith a flirt, a small, tousled head appeared behind the screen, and achildish voice in a loud whisper commanded, "Keep still, you old Towzer!It isn't time to wake Gail yet. We've got to get those flowers and shewouldn't let us if she knew. "

A second small face joined the first at the window, followed by stillanother, all blinking sleepily, but eager with excitement. "Oh, Peace, "whispered the oldest of the trio, in an awestruck voice, "isn't it abeau--ti--ful day? I've a notion to call--"

"Don't you dast!" quickly interposed the first speaker. "You know Gailnever'd let us go. Just see how wet everything is!"

"Did it rain?" asked the third child, the youngest of them all, critically examining the trees and porch-roof, and then lifting hergreat, blue eyes to the bluer sky above as if expecting to see heranswer there. 

"No, goosie, it's just dew, but it must have been awful heavy. Get yourclothes on, Allee, or Gail will wake before we are started. Aren't youready, Cherry?"

"'Most, " came the muffled reply from the corner where a strugglingtangle of clothes, hands and feet proclaimed that Cherry was hurrying. 

"Then come on; we will have to fly. I'll button your dress when we getoutside, Allee. Never mind your other shoe, Cherry; you can put it ondownstairs. Have you got your basket?" Giving her directions in sharp, imperative whispers, Peace led the way into the hall, leaped onto thebanisters, boy-fashion, and slid quickly, quietly to the floor below, where she waited in a fever of impatience for her less daring sisters tocreep backward down the creaking stairs. "Skip that one, it squeaks likefury--oh, Allee, what a racket! There, I knew you'd do it! Gail's awake. Sh! Girls!"

They held their breath, huddled close in the darkest corner of the hall, and waited. 

"Peace!" again came the call from above. 

A happy inspiration seized the small culprit, and she snored vigorously. Cherry and Allee clapped both hands over their mouths to stifle theirgiggles, but Gail was evidently satisfied, for she did not repeat hersummons; and after another moment of hushed waiting, the half-dressed, dishevelled trio tiptoed down the hall, cautiously unlocked the kitchendoor and slipped out into the sweet freshness of the early day. 

There was a quick scampering of little feet down the walk, a subduedclick of the gate, and the three children, holding hands, raced madlyalong the dusty road until a thick hedge of sumac and hazel bushes hidthem from the little brown house. Then Peace slackened her gaitsomewhat, but did not cease running, and kept looking behind her as ifstill fearing pursuit or discovery. 

"Oh, Peace, " gasped Allee at last, stumbling blindly over sticks andstones as her older sisters dragged her along between them, "my dress iscoming off, and my breath is all in chunks. Do we have to run the_whole_ way?"

Peace looked back at the small, perspiring figure, saw the plumpshoulders from which the unbuttoned dress had slipped, caught a glimpseof flying shoestrings, rumpled stockings and naked legs, as the littlefeet were jerked unceremoniously over humps and hollows of the roughroad-way, and stopped so abruptly that her companions were thrownheadlong into the dust, creating such a commotion that a weary slumbereron the opposite side of the thicket was rudely startled out of his nap, thinking some great catastrophe had overtaken him. As he sat up andrubbed his eyes, looking around him in bewilderment for the cause of hissudden awakening, he heard an angry voice sputter shrilly, "Well, PeaceGreenfield, I must say--"

"Don't stop to say it now, " interrupted another childish voice. "I nevermeant to dump you over like that. You shouldn't have been running sofast. S'posing you had been a train and tumbled into the ditch! Reckonall your passengers would have got a good jolt. I stopped so's we couldfinish dressing. Cherry, where is your other shoe? You have run all theway down the road with only one on. Just look at your stockings!"

"Where's yours? You haven't any stockings at all, " retorted the firstvoice, still sharp with indignation. 

"In my pocket. I was afraid Gail would hear as 'fore we got gone. There, Allee, your dress is done. Fasten up your shoes while I put on mystockings. We'll have to hurry like mischief, 'cause I don't think Gailwill go back to sleep again. "

There was a subdued rustling for a moment or two beyond the dense hedge, and then the listening man heard the sound of hurrying footsteps in theroad, and the children vanished without his having caught a glimpse ofthem. But he was now thoroughly awake, and as soon as the steps diedaway in the distance, he rose from his bed among the leaves, shook outhis gray blankets, rolled and strapped them into a bundle, threw themunder the overhanging shrubbery, and slowly made way through the treesto a wide, sparkling creek, whose tumbling waters made sweet music inthe woods. 

"What a glorious scene this is, " he murmured aloud, gazing in raptadmiration at the wooded hills, the singing stream, the bright flowers. "Why can't we be content to live in such places instead of buildinggreat, smoky, sooty cities? You little creek, you sang me to sleep lastnight. Wish I could take you back home with me. What a pretty flower!Little bird, you will split your throat if you try to pour out all yourmelody at once. Better give us a little at a time. Of course you arehappy! Who wouldn't be on such a wonderful day? Oh, what sentiments fora tramp! Campbell, have you forgotten what you are?"

He was near the road now, and suddenly a baby voice piped shrilly, "Yes, here is the bridge and there is the sun. Oh, just look at the sun! It'sway up high now. Ain't it big and fiery?"

"S'posing it was a frying-pan, " spoke up a second voice, which thestartled tramp recognized as belonging to Peace; "and we could have allthe buckwheat cakes it would cook. My! wouldn't that be nice?"

They came slowly into view through the shrubbery, --three queer, drippinglittle figures, with hair flying, dresses wet and rumpled, shoes soakedand muddy, but literally loaded down with masses of late columbine andsweet wood violets. And they made a pretty picture with their bright, rosy faces and excited, sparkling eyes. 

The tramp, in the shadow of the trees, caught his breath sharply, thenlaughed to himself at Peace's supposition and Cherry's horrifiedexclamation, "Why, Peace Greenfield, what ever put such a crazy ideainto your head?--supposing the sun was a frying pan?"

"I bet it would make a good one, and I'll bet the cakes would be dandy, too! Um--m--m! I can smell 'em now. I am starving hungry, and it doestake so long for the girls to cook pancakes in our little frying pan. Hurry up! It must be breakfast time already. I wish I had wings to flyhome with. S'posing we were birds, we would be there in a jiffy. "

"Let's play we were, " suggested Allee. "That will make the way seemshorter. "

"All right, " the sisters assented; and with their great bouquetsflapping wildly in the wind, the trio sped swiftly out of sight up theroad, leaving the tramp again to his thoughts. 

"Pancakes! Makes me hungry, too. Guess I better wash and be moving on insearch of a breakfast. I wonder if those youngsters live near here. "

He knelt beside the clear stream and ducked his head again and again inthe cool water, finally drying his face on a clean handkerchief, andrunning his fingers through his bushy gray hair in place of a comb. Histoilet done, he set out briskly down road the children had taken, whistling under his breath, and keeping a careful lookout forfarmhouses on the way. 

At the first place he approached, the watchful housewife had loosed avicious-looking bulldog, and the tramp wisely passed by withoutstopping. The next house was deserted, the door of the third place wasslammed in his face before he could even make known his wants, and hewas beginning to wonder if he must go breakfastless when a shrill, childish treble rang out clearly on the still morning air:

 "'The Campbells are comin' Oho, Oho, The Campbells are comin', Oho, Oho. '"

So sudden was the discordant burst of song, and so close by, that thetramp stopped in his tracks and stared in the direction of the voice. 

"Well, of all things! That announcement quite took my breath away!" heejaculated, hurrying forward once more. "The voice sounds like 'S'posingPeace. ' I wonder if it can be she. "

It was, indeed. Another rod and he found himself in front of a gate, onthe high post of which was perched a diminutive, bare-legged girl ina soiled, damp frock, superintending the drying of three pair ofmud-covered shoes arranged in a row on the picket fence, while sheissued orders to the two sisters sitting in the middle of the gravelwalk busily sorting flowers. 

"As true as you live, I don't believe these shoes will ever be dry byschool time. S'posing we have to go barefooted, and this the last day ofthe term! Cherry, you've got too many columbines in that horn. They lookpinched. Put some in Allee's boat. "

"Allee's boat?"

"Well, she is fixing it for Miss Truesdale, even if she ain't asure-enough scholar yet. Don't make such little, stingy bunches ofviolets. We picked plenty. I can't coax your toes to shine, Cherry. I'mscared that the blacking won't do any good. You shouldn't have worn yourbest ones. "

"I haven't any others. My old pair is all worn out, and--Why, who--"

Cherry had caught sight of the shabby figure at the gate, but before shecould finish her sentence, Peace, following the direction of her eyes, wheeled about on her perch, surveyed the man with big, almost somber, brown eyes, and poured forth an avalanche of questions: "Are you atramp? Do you want some work, or are you just begging? Can you chopwood? Do you know how to hoe? Are you hungry--"

"Yes, miss, I'm hungry, " the tramp managed to stammer. "Could you giveme a bite to eat?"

"Not unless you will work for it, " was the firm reply. "We don't b'lievein feeding beggars, but we are always glad to help the deserving poor. "

The man's shrewd, deep-set eyes twinkled with amusement at her grown-uptone and manner, but he answered with seeming meekness, "I will be onlytoo glad to do anything I can for a breakfast--"

"There's wood to be chopped. Gail ain't strong enough to do such work, and our man is lazy. Reckon we'll let him go as soon as the garden is inshape. There's a heap of vines to be trained up on strings 'round theporches, and there are all the flower beds to be weeded, this grassneeds cutting, and the roof of the hen house has to be fixed so's itwon't leak, the hoop has come off the rain-barrel, the back step isbroken, and--oh, yes, there are three screens that we can't get on thewindows, and Mike never finds time for them. "

Peace stopped for breath, and the tramp took advantage of the pause tosay, "Which one of those jobs will you have me do?"

"Which one?" echoed the child in round-eyed amazement. "Why, all ofthem, of course! You don't expect us to give you breakfast unless you dosomething to earn it, do you, after I've told you we never feedbeggars?"

"No, miss. I am willing to work. But you better find out what your mawants me to do first, so I can begin. "

"Mamma's a ninvalid, " Peace responded promptly. "But I will ask Gail. She will know, and, besides, she is cook here. "

She leaped nimbly to the ground and disappeared within doors, where somesort of an argument evidently waged warm and furious for a time, judgingfrom the sound of voices heard in the garden. Finally Peace put inappearance again; not the jaunty, self-reliant young lady who hadinterviewed the tramp a few moments before, but a very sober-faced, dejected-looking child, who twisted her dress into knots with nervousfingers, and at length stammered in embarrassed tones, "Gail says youcan have some breakfast if you will split a little wood for her first, but she says it is a nimposition to expect you to do all I said youshould. I don't see why. There's a heap of work around here to be doneand no one but Mike to do it. There! Faith told me not to say anythingabout not having any men on the place. Mike is only a boy, you know, andhe doesn't b'long here. We haven't got any--"

"Peace Greenfield!" The voice was sharp with exasperation, and Peaceretired hastily indoors once more, calling back over her shoulder, "You'll find the ax by the woodpile, if Mike hasn't got it in themeadow, or it isn't in the shed or the barn. I'll come out and tell youwhen to quit. Yes, Faith I _am_ hurrying! Be sure you cut a lot, 'cause--" The voice trailed away into indistinctness, and the tramp, with a smile on his lips, went to hunt up the missing ax; and soonsharp, ringing blows told the occupants of the house that he was hard atwork. 

Rapidly the huge pile of heavy knots diminished in size, and just asrapidly the heap of split stove-wood grew, while the perspiration rolledin great beads down the worker's crimson face. At last he paused amoment to rest his back and wipe the moisture from his hot forehead, andas he drew his handkerchief down from his eyes he saw Peace standingbefore him, holding a platter in her extended arms while she surveyedthe result of his labor with approving eyes. 

"You've done splendid!" she breathed, enthusiastically. "The last trampwho cut wood for us piled it up so it looked like there was an awfullot, but after he was gone we found he had heaped it around a big holein the middle and there wasn't hardly any split. Faith said she bet youwould do the same way, but I watched you from the window, while Cherryand me were washing the dishes, and you never tried to hide a hole inthe middle at all. Here is your breakfast. Gail cooked it, else youwouldn't have got much. It is Faith's turn to get the meals today, butshe is baking a cake for the minister's reception tonight, and iscrosser'n two sticks, so Gail fixed it. 

"You see, we were all through breakfast when you got here, or you mighthave had more. I don't know, though, --Faith says if she had her wayabout it, she'd send every single tramp who comes here marching down thestreet with the enemy in pursuit. That means Towzer, but he wouldn'tbite anyone. Faith is cross every time she makes a cake. You might haveeaten in the kitchen if it hadn't been for that. She sends us allout-doors when she is baking, so's we won't make her cakes fall. Shedoes make fine things, though! Um! but they are good! Never mind, thekitchen is hot anyway, but it's nice and cool out here under this maple. This is my maple. Papa built that bench for me and Allee before he wentto heaven. You can sit on the ground and play the seat was your table, or you can sit in the seat and hold this platter in your lap. Which'llyou do?"

The tramp smiled broadly, relieved the small maid of her heavy load, anddropped wearily onto the wide bench, saying gratefully, "This will donicely, thank you. What a fine breakfast you have brought me! Gail mustbe a good cook. Is she your sister?" As he spoke, he picked up an eggand carefully broke it on the edge of his plate. 

"Yes, Gail's the oldest of us--Oh, Mr. Tramp, just see what you havedone! I was afraid Gail hadn't given you breakfast enough and that youmight get hungry before noon, so when she wasn't looking I put on awhole lot of extra toast and four eggs and some matches to cook themwith, and you've gone and smashed a _raw_ egg all over everything!"

He stared in dismay at the broken yolk streaming over his creamedpotatoes, and then, seeing the consternation in the big, brown eyes ofhis small hostess, he laughed heartily and said, "Never mind, littlegirl! I'm hungry enough for even raw eggs this morning. Doctors oftenmake their patients eat such things. Here goes!"

Peace watched him in silence a moment and then observed, "You don't looklike any tramps we ever had here before. They always shovel in theirfood with their knives, but you use your fork. You can work, too. Whydon't you get a job somewhere and earn some money instead of loafingaround begging for your meals?"

The man paused, with his fork half way to his mouth, surprised at thechild's keen observations. Then he answered, lightly, "I do sometimes, but a feller can't work all the time, can he?"

"Well, most folks have to, though I never could see why they all can'thave vacations like we do at school. This is our last day until nextfall. "

"Is that what you and the kids gathered the flowers for?"

"Yes, and for the minister's reception tonight. We went early thismorning 'fore the rest of the folks were up; and mercy, but didn't Faithscold when we got back! She said we ought all of us to be whipped andsent to bed. Faith is real ugly when she's making cakes. We did getawfully wet, --I had no notion it would be so bad. But we got the flowersanyway. We made some baskets yesterday out of birch bark and moss. Herecomes Allee with them now. She doesn't go to school yet, but sometimesshe visits with Cherry and me, and today is one of the times. Ain't thebaskets pretty?"

"Scrumptious!" was the admiring answer, as the man clumsily lifted oneof the dainty boats filled with dog-tooth violets and drank in itsperfume with the delight of a child. "What wouldn't city people give forthese little nosegays from the woods! They would go like hot cakes. "

"What do you mean?" asked mystified Peace, failing to understand whatconnection her beloved flowers could have with hot cakes. 

"Why, in big cities, at almost any of the important business corners, you will see little boys and girls selling sweet peas and daisiesand--yes, they sometimes sell cowslips and wood violets, but only inbunches--never in such cunning little baskets. Why, tucked down in thatdamp moss, your flowers will keep fresh for hours; while a bunch from acity flower-seller's stock withers as soon as it is taken out of water. "

"Would folks in Martindale buy them?"

"Yes, indeed! They are a breath from the woods, and lots of people wouldbe glad to get them. You see--"

"Peace Greenfield, it's time to start! Do you want to be late the lastday of school?"

"That's Cherry. I must go. I wish I could stop and talk some more. Whenyou finish your breakfast, just take the dishes around to the kitchensteps, and--if you have time and want to do it--you might weed thoseflower gardens in the front yard and the onion patch behind the shed. Ifyou don't, I'll have to, and you 'member I gave you some extra lunchthat you wouldn't have got if it hadn't been for me--and a few matches. Promise you won't light a fire till you get a long way from our house, will you? Gail won't give tramps matches for fear they will set thebuildings on fire. And say, the lawn-mower is right beside the frontporch, if you should happen to want to cut the grass--just the littlepiece fenced in, you know. The rest is for hay. And the ball of twinefor stringing up Hope's vines is stuck in the hole of the porch railingnearest the door--you can find it easy enough. The rain barrel is behindthe house, and--yes, yes, Cherry, I am coming this very minute! I hopeyou have liked your nice breakfast, and will come some other time andsplit more wood for us. Good-bye, Mr. Tramp, I've _got_ to go. "

CHAPTER II

THE MINISTER'S RECEPTION

"Are you ready, Cherry?"

"Almost, " came the muffled reply from the stiffly-starched little figuresitting on the floor struggling with a broken shoe-string. "Why, Peace, where are _you_ going?"

"Where do you s'pose? To the reception, of course, " answered that younglady, who had just entered the room, rigged out in an ancient, fadedpink gown which had once been pretty, but was long since outgrown sothat several inches of petticoat hung in display the whole way aroundthe skirt, and the ruffs on the sleeves reached almost to the elbow. Howshe had ever squeezed herself inside the small garment was beyondcomprehension, but there she stood, buttoned up and breathless, readyfor the evening's social event. 

"Did Faith say you could go, and where in creation did you find thatridiculous old dress?" demanded Cherry, after an astonished survey ofthe grotesque figure in the doorway. 

"Faith doesn't have anything to say about it, " was the emphatic retort, as the brown eyes snapped indignantly at her sister's criticism. "Didn'tmother promise I could go to the next reception that the church had, and ain't this the next? Faith kept me home from Mr. Kane's farewell, but she can't make me stay away tonight. "

"Gail isn't going--" began Cherry, scenting the storm which was sure tofollow this declaration from her younger sister; but Peace interrupted, "I am going just the same. Mother said I could!"

"Have you asked her about it today?"

"No, I haven't. She promised a long time ago, but it was a sure enoughpromise, and she always keeps her promises. "

"But--"

"There ain't any 'but' about it. I'm going even if I have to walk all bymyself. I'm 'most as big as you. Two years ain't much difference! Faithnever kicks about your going, but she always tries to make me stay athome. She won't this time, though. " The shapely little head shook sovigorously that each tight ring of short, brown hair bobbedemphatically. 

"But you _can't_ go in that dress, " remonstrated Cherry, still staringat the abbreviated gown and neglecting her own preparations. "It ishardly big enough for Allee any more. You've had that for three or fouryears. "

"It's the only thing I could find. My white one is _all_ worn out, andthat ugly green gingham has a long tear on the side which Gail hasn'tmended yet. "

"But what will Faith say when she sees that rig? Why, Peace, it looksawful!"

"I should say it did!" exclaimed a second voice from the hallway, andFaith, a tall, brown-eyed girl of about fifteen years, entered the door. "What in the world do you think you are doing, Peace Greenfield?"

Peace blinked her somber eyes vigorously, for tears were very near thesurface, but she swallowed back the lump in her throat and calmlyanswered, "I'm getting ready for the reception, same as you. "

"Indeed you're not! Gail isn't going, and you can stay right here athome with her and Allee. "

"That's what I did the last time, but you don't play that trick on metonight. Mother said I could go to the next reception, and I am going. "

"She didn't mean this kind of a reception, and you can't go. "

"I will, I will! Oh, you are the crossest sister!" cried poor Peace, with tears of vexation streaming down over her cheeks. "You _always_spoil my good times! You _never_ make Cherry stay at home--"

"She is older--"

"Two years ain't much!"

"She knows how to behave herself. "

"So do I! I'll be as good as gold--"

"I've taken you on that promise before. "

"Oh, Oh, Oh! I will go! I'm going straight to mother and ask her now. "

"Mother is worse tonight and can't be bothered. Stop your yelling, orshe will hear you. "

"I want her to hear! I shall go! She said I might!" The storm was on inall its fury. 

"Hush!" interposed Cherry, running to her sobbing sister and trying tosoothe her wild rebellion with gentle caresses. "I will stay home withyou, Peace. I don't care much about going, anyway. "

"You can stay at home if you want to, " declared the small rebel withemphasis, "but _I_ am going!"

"Children, children, what is all this racket about?" asked a gentle, grieved voice, suddenly, and the shamed-faced trio wheeled to find thepale, little, invalid mother standing in their midst. 

"Oh, mother, mayn't I go? Faith says I can't, but you promised me whenMr. Kane went away that I could go to the next reception if I would makeno more fuss about not going to his. "

"So I did, dear--"

"But a reception for a new minister is no place for such little girls, mother, " broke in Faith, petulantly. 

"The 'nouncements said to bring the _babies_"--involuntarily the mothersmiled and the other sisters giggled. "I am lots bigger than a baby--"

"You don't act it--"

"Faith!" The mother's face was as reproving as her voice, and the oldergirl's cheeks flushed crimson as she murmured humbly, "I am sorry, mother; but really, she does say such awful things. She is alwaystalking. And just look at that dress!"

"I thought it would be pretty--" began Peace, but at that moment shecaught sight of her reflection in the mirror, and stopped so abruptly, with such a comical look of dismay and despair in her eyes, that thewhole group burst out laughing. Peace joined in their merriment, andthen soberly said, "I look like a chicken when the down is turning tofeathers. What can I do about it? I _can't_ stay at home!"

"Where is your green dress?"

"Gail hasn't mended it yet. "

Faith saw her opportunity and immediately compromised. "Peace, if I mendyour dress for you so you can go, will you sit perfectly still all theevening and never say a word until you are spoken to?"

"Yes, oh, yes, I'll promise!"

The mother opened her lips to speak, but thought better of it, and witha smile in her eyes, withdrew, leaving the children to their finalpreparations. 

At length the torn dress was neatly mended and buttoned on the wrigglingowner, the bright curls were given a second brushing and tied back witha band of pink ribbon from Faith's own treasures, and the sisters wereon their way to the mother's room for a good-bye kiss when a fourthgirl, looking very sweet in a fresh, blue gingham, rushed excitedly upthe stairs and demanded, "Where did you say you put the cake, Faith?Gail can't find it. "

"Why, it's on the wash-bench under the pantry window, covered up withthe big dishpan. "

"There is nothing under the dishpan but an empty plate. "

"Hope! You are fooling!"

"Cross my heart and hope to die, " was the solemn answer. "Gail lookedand I looked. She says somebody must have stolen it. "

"The tramp!" cried Faith and Cherry in one voice. 

"Bet he didn't!" declared Peace, who had stood open-mouthed and silentduring Hope's recital. "I gave him a great big lunch and--and somematches to make some more with--"

"Yes, " said Faith, bitterly grieved over the loss of the cake, "and kepthim hanging around here all the morning, till we thought he never wasgoing. I suppose he took the cake for his dinner. "

"I don't believe it! But he did weed those flower beds beau--ti--fully!"cried Peace, championing his cause. "And he strung Hope's vines just aseven! And the lawn is all mowed, and there ain't a sprill of grass leftin the onion patch, and the rain barrel is fixed up and the back step ismended, and--did he stop up the leaks in the hen house? I told him justwhere they were. "

"Perhaps you told him to pay for his breakfast, too, " suggested theolder girl, sarcastically. "We found a half dollar under his cup afterhe was gone. "

"A sure-enough half dollar?" asked Peace, too astonished to believe herears. 

"Yes, a sure-enough half dollar!"

"Where is it? I want to see it for myself. "

"On the pantry shelf. Gail thought he might have left it there bymistake and would come back after it. But I don't. "

"Maybe he left it to pay for taking the cake, " suggested Allee, who hadjoined the excited group in the hall. 

"He never took the cake, " Peace asserted stoutly. "But I don't think hewill ever come back for his money, either. He wouldn't have left it inthe dishes if he hadn't meant it for us. His clothes had pockets inthem, same as any other man's, and if he had any money, he would havekept it there and not carried it around in his hands. Wish he would comeback, though. I'd ask him about the cake, just to show you he never tookit. "

"See here, Peace Greenfield, " cried Faith, with sudden suspicion, "doyou know where that cake is?"

"No, I don't! How should I know? But I don't believe that tramp took it. So there!"

"I don't believe he was even a tramp. Suppose he was a bad man, who haddone something terrible, and the police were after him--"

"Yes, or s'pose he was a prince, " Peace broke in, remembering herconversation with the gray, old man. "He might be one for all we know, but he didn't look like a bad man. "

"Suppose we stop supposing, " laughed Hope, "and all hunt for the cake. Someone may have hid it just for fun. We've half an hour before wereally must go to the church. "

"I don't care to go at all if that cake is gone, " declared Faith, crossly. "Mrs. Wardlaw will begin to think I am lying to get out ofhelping with refreshments if I have to make excuses again tonight. "

"But you're on the program, " protested the smaller girls. 

"I guess maybe we will find it somewhere, " said Hope. "Come on andhelp. " And they scattered in their search for the missing loaf. 

But, though they looked high and low, indoors and out, not a trace couldthey find of it, except the clean, empty plate under the dishpan; and indespair Peace climbed to her gatepost to ponder the question of whethertramp and cake had disappeared together or whether some local agent wasthe cause of its vanishing. "If it had been a nanimal, " she said, thoughtfully, "it would have knocked the dishpan off the bench andbroken the plate. It must have been a person. I'd think it was HecAbbott, only--mercy! What in the world is this? Money! Sure as I'malive!" Scrambling down from her perch, she raced for the house, shouting, "Gail, Faith, look what I've found, hitched to the gatepost!"

The five sisters ran to meet her, and into Gail's hand she thrust acrumpled, green scrap. 

"Ten dollars!" gasped the astonished girl, examining the dingy bill withexcited curiosity. "Someone must have lost it--"

"And pinned it to the gatepost so's we could find it?" demanded Peace. "Well, I guess not! Bet that tramp left it. He surely must be a prince. What shall you do with it, Gail?"

"Show it to mother and ask her advice, " promptly answered the oldestgirl, smiling down at the excited group of sisters; and they hurriedaway to the house with the precious find--all but Peace. 

A wild, daring thought had suddenly sprung into her active brain, and asher sisters vanished within doors, she flew madly up the road throughthe summer twilight towards the little village, clasping a shining halfdollar tightly in her fist. In a surprisingly short time she returned, breathless but triumphant, bearing a huge paper sack in her arms, justas an anxious group came around the corner of the house. 

"Peace! Where have you been?" cried Gail in relief, as the panting formflew in at the gate. 

"We've been hunting all over the farm for you, " added Faith, severely. 

"Thought you might be searching for some more money, " laughed Hope. 

"What's in that big bag?" demanded Cherry. 

"Cakes!" gasped Peace, proudly. "Faith said Mrs. Waddler would be nastyif we didn't take something to eat this time, so I spent the tramp'shalf dollar for some of those marshmallow cakes with nuts on top. Theyare dandy good, and they cost a lot, but they weigh light, so you get abig bag full for fifty cents. Not many people have money enough to buythem very often, and Mrs. Waddler can't say a word about our bringingthem instead of a cake. Have one, Gail and Allee, 'cause you aren'tgoing to the reception. And take one up to mother. Maybe she'd likethem, too. "

"But, Peace, " Faith began, sharply, then stopped at a warning glancefrom Gail, and with sudden gentleness she took the bulky sack from thesmall sister's arms and started off for the church where the receptionwas to be held. 

They were somewhat late in arriving, and the little building was alreadywell filled with a laughing, light-hearted crowd, gathered to welcomethe new minister into their midst. Glancing hastily about her, Faith sawone empty chair in a dim corner, and pointing it out to Peace, she said, "Sit down over there, and remember not to talk except when you arespoken to. Above everything else, don't get to romping. Hope and Cherryare to help Miss Dunbar pass the cake, so they are needed in thekitchen. Remember, now!"

"Yes, I will, " was the unusually meek reply, and Peace obediently curledherself up in the corner to watch proceedings, thankful to be one of thegay company, but wistfully wishing that she might join in themerrymaking. It wasn't so bad when the program hour came, for everyonesat down then and listened quietly to the music and speeches, but it wasvery lonely in the dim recess, where Peace was almost hidden from sight, and she longed to have someone to talk to. Everyone was so busyintroducing themselves to the young minister and his pretty, sprightlylittle wife, or gossiping among themselves, that no one paid anyattention to the somber, brown eyes peering so eagerly from the corner. 

"Oh, dear, " sighed Peace at length, "I might as well have stayed at homelike Faith said, for not a single soul has said a word to me since Icame in, and I don't s'pose I will even get a chance to speak to the newminister. My, but he's got an awfully pretty wife! Wish she would smileat me like that. There come the 'freshments. Like as not they'll skipme, off here by myself. If Cherry forgets, I'll shake her good when Iget home. A piece of cake is dry eating when all the rest have lemonade, but I'd rather have that than nothing. There, that man is going to playagain--Faith is pulling out the stops of the organ. Doesn't he lookfunny?"

She laughed aloud at a sudden ludicrous fancy, and her laugh was echoedso close beside her that she nearly jumped out of her chair. Recoveringherself, she whirled around to find the strong-faced young pastorlooking down at her. 

"What do you find so funny to laugh at, hid away here in this darkcorner?" he asked, in a cheery, hearty voice, as he drew up an old stooland sat down beside her. 

And, forgetting her fright in the friendly glance and tone of this newpreacher, Peace giggled out, "I was just thinking s'posing we were allgrasshoppers, how funny we'd look hopping around here instead ofwalking. We'd have to shake feet instead of hands, and if we wanted togo across the room all we'd have to do would be to take a big jump. "

For a fraction of a second the minister was dumb with amazement at theunexpected answer; then he threw back his head and laughed uproariously, as he gasped, "What ever put such a thought in that little noddle?"

"That man with the big fiddle, " was the prompt reply. "Doesn't he looklike a grasshopper with that long-tailed coat and all that shirt front?If he just had feelers on his head, he'd be perfect. Don't you thinkso?"

Again the young man laughed, for Peace's picture was not overdrawn--thetall, angular cellist in evening dress certainly did resemble agrasshopper. But, of course, it would never do for him to say so, and hesought to turn this unusual conversation by inquiring, "Aren't you oneof the Greenfield girls? You look amazingly like two or three who havebeen introduced to me this evening. Isn't the organist a sister ofyours?"

"Yes, that's Faith. "

"And the blue-eyed one just coming in the door?"

"That's Hope. "

"And there is a third one here somewhere, is there not?"

"Yes, Cherry. Her real name is Charity, but that is such a long name fora little girl that we call her Cherry. "

He smiled at the diminutive maiden with her grown-up air, and saidmusingly, "Faith, Hope and Charity. Then you must be Mercy. "

"Oh, mercy, no!" was the horrified exclamation. "That would be worsethan ever! I am Peace. Faith says I ought to have been called 'War andTribulation'--it would have been more 'propriate; but I am not to blamefor my name, if it doesn't fit. I would have been something else if I'dhad my way about it. Unless babies are named pretty names I think theirfolks ought to wait until they can pick out their own names. Grandpanamed me--all of us but Gail and Allee. If I just hadn't been born fortwo weeks longer maybe I'd have had a pretty name, too, for grandpa diedwhen I was only thirteen days old. You see, grandpa was a minister--papaused to be a minister, too--and he never had any other children butpapa, so he didn't get a chance to do much naming in his own family. Papa named Gail; her real name is Abigail. And then grandpa came to livewith us. He liked Bible names, so the rest of us were picked out of theBible--except Allee, and she wasn't born then. Mamma named her. "

She paused for breath, and the amused, amazed preacher found opportunityto murmur, politely, "But I am sure you all have good names--"

"Oh, yes, they are good enough! The trouble is, they don't fit, exceptHope's. She is our sunbeam, always doing and saying something pretty, and _meaning_ it, too. Now, Gail isn't a gale at all, but just thebestest kind of a sister; while Faith is usu'lly cross as two sticksunless things go just as she wants them; and Cherry doesn't stand aroundon corners d'livering _tracks_ and worn-out clo's to the needy poor, like Charity always does in the pictures. But mine is the worst misfit. Still, I'm thankful it isn't any worse. Just s'posing I had Irene for amiddle name--that's my favorite, and Olive is Hope's choice--then my'nitials would have spelled P. I. G. And hers H. O. G. ; and the schoolchildren would never have called us anything else. I know, 'cause theycall Nort Thomas Nettie. His whole name is Norton Edwin Thomas, but healways signed his 'nitials on his 'rithmetic papers, and the boys tookto calling him Nettie. It makes it all the worse 'cause he is a regularsissy boy. Have you got any children?"

"No. "

"Well, I s'pose you will have some day, and if I was you, I'd name themsomething pretty, or else wait till they got big enough to choose forthemselves. And whatever you do, don't let your church people raise'em. "

"Wh--at?"

"That's just what they'll _try_ to do. They did with our family, andwhen they got us all spoiled, they said we were the worst children intown--that ministers' children always were. Why, Mrs. Waddler--her nameis Wardlaw, but she is so big and fat that I call her Waddler--that'sher over there feeding cake to that scrap of a man--he's herhusband--well, she told Mrs. Grinnell once that I was possessed of sevendevils. I asked mother what that meant, and she was dreadfully mad. Ittakes a lot to make mother mad, too. When we first moved here to Parker, Mrs. Wardlaw thought I was the cutest little girl she had ever seen--shetold me so lots of times--but she doesn't any more. Now she says I am ahoy-ena--no, that isn't the word. It means tomboy, anyway. That is whatMr. Hardman calls me, too. He's the _imbecile_ who lives on the farmnext to our place. "

"The wh--at?"

"Well, he is! He says so himself. He doesn't b'long to any church, andhardly ever goes, and he says r'ligion is all tommyrot. "

"Oh, you mean infidel, " suggested the pastor, trying hard not to laughagain. 

"Maybe. His name is really Hartman. I nicknamed him 'cause he won't letus have the hazelnuts in his pasture, and he stole my petchicken, --leastwise, he let it stay in his flock so now I can't coax itback; and he chased us out of his apple trees one day when we were justclimbing after one pretty red one way up high out of reach. We did knockoff quite a few, but we never meant to carry them off with us. Hedoesn't like girls, and says if he had a family of six like us, he'd--"

"Are you six girls all there are?"

"Isn't that enough? Seems to me it's a pretty big family. When I waslittle, Cherry and me used to pray that the angels would never bring anymore babies to our family, 'cause the pieces of pie were getting awfullylittle, and, of course, they got littler every time there was anotherbaby. But they brought us Allee anyway. That was just after mother'sonliest uncle died and left her some money, and she made papa take itand buy our farm and bring us out here to live after he had been sick along, long time with _tryfoid_ fever, and had lost all his prettyhair. "

"Didn't you say your papa was a minister?"

"I said he used to be. "

"What is he now?"

"An angel. "

"Oh!"

"You see, papa went right on acting like a preacher even after the badpeople in Pendennis made him sick; and when Old Skinflint--I mean Mr. Skinner--most folks call him deacon, but I guess it's just 'cause he isso different from a truly deacon, and is always blaming the Lord foreverything that happens--well, when he got cold and had pneumonia, papahelped take care of him. The deacon is so ugly that hardly anyone elsewould have anything to do with him; and one rainy night papa was soakedgoing up to Skinner's house, and he had to sit up 'most of the night ina cold room, 'cause the deacon wouldn't have anyone in his room wherethe fire was. So papa caught cold, too, and he never got well. Theangels came and carried him away. "

"Oh!"

"Yes, and I heard Mrs. Abbott tell a lady one day that she thoughtmother would soon be an angel, too. Do you s'pose she will?" The big, brown eyes had suddenly grown wide with fear, and Peace piteouslysearched the strong face above her for some comforting assurance. 

Just a moment he hesitated, and then answered, tenderly, "We shall allbe angels some day if we are good. "

"Oh, mamma is good as gold! But two sure-enough angels in one family istoo many, 'specially when it's the mother and father. Don't you thinkso?"

Poor man! What could he say? But at that moment came a timelyinterruption in the shape of Miss Dunbar with a huge platter loaded withglasses of lemonade; and as she spied the two figures in the littlerecess, she exclaimed, "Why, Mr. Strong, we've been hunting all over thebuilding for you. What an effective screen those brakes and columbinesmake! None of us thought of finding you here. Peace, you are very quietthis evening. Would you like some lemonade? Have you had refreshments, Mr. Strong? The committee is looking for you to make arrangements forSunday's meetings. "

"I will be there in a moment, Miss Dunbar. Good-night, little Peace, Isee your sisters beckoning to you. When the parsonage is ship-shape Iwant you to come and see us. Will you?"

"You bet!" was the prompt and emphatic reply, as Peace skipped happilyaway to join her sisters, forgetting, in her gladness, that neither Hopenor Charity had brought her any cake to eat with her lemonade. 

CHAPTER III

SHOES AND STRAWBERRIES

"Cherry! Cherry Greenfield!" called Peace, imperatively, flapping anewspaper vigorously, as if to add emphasis to her summons. 

"Here, " drawled a lazy voice from the great elm by the road. "What doyou want? I am busy. "

"You are reading, that's what!" exclaimed her sister in disgust, as shecame within sight of the slender, brown legs swinging among thethickly-leaved branches. "Shut up that book and listen to me. I've gotsome portentious"--she meant important--"news. Cameron's Shoe Storeadvertises shoes at forty-nine cents. That means a pair, doesn't it?They wouldn't sell them separately, would they, --'cepting to one-leggedpeople? And the sale lasts the whole week. "

"Well, what of it?" asked Cherry, impatiently opening her book oncemore; but Peace had scrambled up into the leafy retreat by this time, and she thrust a ragged newspaper page into her sister's hands, crying, "What of it? Why, Charity Greenfield, you were saying just this morningthat you'd have to have some new shoes pretty quick or go barefooted onSundays. How would you like that? And mine are 'most worn out, too. "

"Well, I can't help it if we must have shoes. Gail says there won't beany extra money this month. It took all she had to pay up Mike, so shecould let him go. Besides, this paper says they are canvas shoes. Thosewouldn't last us any time. Faith says we ought to have cow-hide--"

"Yes, that sounds just like her. She is always saying something cross. She ought to be thankful that we don't wear our shoes out any faster. S'posing we didn't have any summer so we could go barefooted, ors'posing we had as many legs as a spider, and had to buy a dozen pair ofshoes each time. I guess _that_ would take money! Aren't canvas shoesthe things Nellie Banker had? Hers wore an awfully long time and she putthem on every day, too. "

"Well, I don't see how that helps us any if we haven't got the money. Cameron's Shoe Store is in Martindale, too. Where did you get thispaper?"

"I've been helping Mrs. Grinnell shell peas, and she dumped the podsonto this scrap. When I saw 'shoes forty-nine cents, ' I asked her if itmeant sure-enough shoes for that little, and she said it did, and thatany time we wanted to get things in town at a sale when she was goingin, we could drive along with her. "

"But the money--"

"Can't we earn it? I heard Mr. Hardman tell the butcher that he neededsomeone to help pick his late strawberries, and he'll pay five cents aquart. We've often picked strawberries, and it isn't very hardwork--just hot and mon-mon--I can't think of the rest of that word. "

"It's just as well, " answered Cherry, with unconscious sarcasm. "'Twaslikely wrong anyway. Do you mean to say you would pick berries for Mr. Hartman, when you hate him so?"

"Why not--if he will have us? His money is just as good as any otherman's, ain't it? Only he's mighty stingy. "

"That's just it! I don't believe you heard him right. He'll never payfive cents a quart for picking berries, Peace. Now, if it was JudgeAbbott or Mrs. Grinnell--Why, strawberries are cheap!"

"Not now, when they are 'most gone. And, besides, he told the butcherthat one of the big hotels in Martindale pays him twenty cents a quartfor all he will bring them. It's a special kind, you see, splendid bigones, that only rich folks can 'ford to eat. "

Cherry swung her feet thoughtfully as she read the alluringadvertisement once more, and pondered the question of such importance toboth little girls, but she ventured no reply. 

"Well?" said Peace, sharply, after some moments of impatient silence. 

"It's awfully hot to pick berries in the sun all day, " yawned Cherry, fingering her book longingly. 

Peace snorted in disgust, and seizing the precious paper from hersister's lap, she swung nimbly to the ground and started off across themeadow on the other side of the fence. 

"Wait, Peace! Where are you going?" cried Cherry, scrambling off herperch, thoroughly awake now. 

"To pick me a pair of shoes in Mr. Hardman's strawberry patch, " answeredPeace, quickening her pace. 

"Oh, don't hurry so fast. I'll go, too. But s'posing he won't let uspick berries for him?"

"I ain't s'posing any such thing. We've picked strawberries before. Why, Allee knows how. Anyone with sense can do a thing like that!"

"Is--are you going to take Allee along if he should give us the job?"

"No, her shoes will last a long time yet. She doesn't need any newones. "

By this time they had reached the long, low, green house on the farmadjoining theirs, and almost bumped into Mr. Hartman himself, as theydashed breathlessly around the corner in search of him. 

"Highty, tighty!" ejaculated the startled man, leaping aside to avoid acollision. "What are you young rapscallions doing over here? You bettermake tracks for home. "

"Ramscallion yourself, " Peace burst out hotly, nursing a stubbed toe andwinking rapidly to keep the tears back. "We've come to pick yourstrawberries. "

"You have, eh? Well now, what if I won't let you?"

"Then we'll go home. Come, Cherry!" Grabbing her sister's hand, shemarched angrily toward the road, but he called after her, "What will youpick berries for?"

"Five cents a quart, " she replied briefly, not looking around orslackening her gait in the least. 

He chuckled. "Huh! Your price is pretty steep. "

"'Pends upon how you look at it, " she flung back at him. "You pay thatto other folks, and we can pick as good as anyone. Mrs. Grinnellalways--"

"Mrs. Grinnell's berries are only scrubs. "

"Scrubs have to be picked carefully so's not to squash them. "

He laughed outright, and Peace marched on with head high and cheeksaflame with anger. 

Before she had reached the road, however, he stopped her by saying, "What do you want to pick berries for this hot weather?"

"For money. We want some shoes. Cameron's are selling canvas shoes forforty-nine cents a pair all this week, and Mrs. Grinnell is going intown Saturday, and we could drive with her--s'posing we could earnenough for the shoes. "

"Why don't your ma buy some?"

"Mother's sick and Gail hasn't any money. "

"You've got a pretty little farm there--"

"We can't wear farms on our feet, " snapped Peace, moving off once more, but again he stopped them, for he was really in need of pickers in orderto harvest his big crop of berries before they spoiled on the vines. "Well, now, I'll tell you, kids, I will try you at picking, and--"

"Pay us five cents a box?"

"Yes, if you are good at the job. Come tomorrow morning. "

"We'll begin now. This is Thursday, and that sale lasts only tillSaturday. It might rain tomorrow, and 'sides, it _might_ take us more'na day. "

"Well, suit yourselves, " chuckled the man. "But be sure you do good workand don't eat up the berries. "

So the two small sisters were soon busily engaged in picking theluscious red fruit and packing it in quart boxes, while the sun pouredmercilessly down upon them. But they pluckily stuck to their post untilthe day was done, trying to forget the heat and dust in planning theirtrip to the big city, which they had visited so seldom. However, twolong, thankful sighs escaped their dry lips when at length Gail's horntooted out the summons to the evening meal, and they hurried homeward asfast as their aching backs and tired feet would carry them, exultantthough perspiring. 

"Gracious!" murmured Cherry plaintively, as she bathed her hot face atthe pump, "I never knew before how many berries it took to make aquart. "

"It would take lots more if we were picking wild strawberries. Theyain't bigger'n peas, but these are whoppers. "

"And covered thick with spiders--ugh! I feel them crawling all over menow. I believe I killed a million just this afternoon. "

Peace laughed. They didn't bother her. "Just s'posing those strawberrieswere bugs really, and when the hotel people ate them the bugs wouldbite. My, wouldn't you like to hear them holler?"

"Why, Peace Greenfield!" cried Cherry in a shocked voice. 

"Well, Hope was reading yesterday about some place where snakes coil upand look just like springs of water, and when thirsty people bend overto drink, the snakes bite them. There _might_ be bugs somewhere thatlooked like strawberries so folks would try to eat them. Course Iwouldn't want them to hurt the people bad--just enough to make them jumpgood. "

"I would rather have strawberries look like pennies--"

"I'd rather have them _be_ pennies. Just think, if we could pick moneyoff from strawberry vines! Everyone would start to raising strawberries, wouldn't they? And how rich we would be! Never mind, we picked tenboxes of berries this afternoon--that means a shoe apiece. We surelyought to get that many more by noon tomorrow. Let's begin early so's topick as many as we can before it gets hot. "

So the morrow found them early in the field again, and by noon thesecond ten boxes were filled to the brim. 

"There!" breathed Cherry in relief, mopping her crimson face on hersleeve as she surveyed the fruit of their labor. "We are done. Now wecan get our shoes all right tomorrow. Why, what are you doing, Peace?Are you crazy?" For Peace had snatched up some empty boxes from anothercrate and was making her way between the green rows again. 

"Nope, " answered the perspiring little maid. "I am just going to picksome more. "

"Well, I'm not!" was the emphatic reply, as Cherry started after thedusty figure plodding down the field. "I am nearly cooked now, andhungry as a bear. Come on home! We have picked enough to pay for ourshoes, goosie. Or do you want two pair?"

Peace lifted her somber eyes from her self-appointed task and saidbriefly, "Yep--for Allee. "

"For Allee?" echoed astonished Cherry. "You told me yourself that shedidn't need any new shoes. "

"Well, I didn't think she did, but last night I 'xamined her only pairand they look awfully scrubby. There isn't any more blacking in thehouse, and the ink I sopped onto them made them worse than ever. Besides, I--it would look mean to get us some shoes and not any forher. "

Without another word, Cherry gathered up an armful of empty boxes anddropped down by a new row of vines, picking silently, ploddingly untilat last the third ten had been filled. Then she spoke, "Is this all, orare you going to earn shoes for Hope and Faith and Gail? Because theafternoon is pretty well gone and--"

"Three pair of shoes is all I am going to pick, " interrupted Peacesomewhat sharply, for she was hot and tired, and Cherry's tone seemed toimply criticism. "Help me tote these crates up to the house now andwe'll get our pay. "

Mr. Hartman met them as they tugged the second crate, only half filled, up to the berry shed, and the spirit of mischief suddenly tookpossession of the usually stern, business-like farmer. 

"So you have picked all you want to, have you? Well, I am surprised tothink you would give up so soon. Here, hand me that box! I want to seewhat kind of pickers you are. " He hoisted the two crates to the cornerof the fence surrounding one of his brooding pens, and pretended toexamine each box critically, while the girls waited in anxious silencefor his word of approval. "Hm!" he said at last, trying to frown, andsucceeding so well that both little faces paled with misgiving. "Just asI expected! You don't know how to pick strawberries. You don't deserve acent of pay. How much were you to get? Five cents a box?"

"Yes, sir, " whispered Peace, with lips so dry they could hardly form thewords. 

"Well, I oughtn't to give you a penny, but I will be generous and liveup to my part of the bargain. Five cents a box, was it? And there aretwo boxes and a half of fruit. "

His eyes were twinkling, but this Peace failed to notice, and she criedindignantly, "There are _thirty_ boxes! We picked ten last night andtwenty today. "

"Oh, those little boxes! Five cents a big box, I meant. That would beten cents and half a nickel over; but I will be good and give youfifteen cents for your work. " He drew three battered coins from hispocket and dropped them into Peace's damp, dirty hand. 

She drew in her breath sharply, stared at the money for a moment in dumbamazement, then let it fly with all her might straight at Mr. Hartman'shead, screaming in a frenzy of anger and disappointment, "Younumscullion of a cheat! Do you s'pose you will ever get to heaven? Thereare your old berries! You can hire your chickens to pick them up! I'llnever work for you again!" One shove of the crates, and the beautiful, tempting fruit lay in a scattered heap inside the chicken yard! AndPeace, blinded by the hot tears of rage, was flying for home withdismayed Cherry close at her heels. 

It was Mr. Hartman's turn to stare, and stare he did, first at thespoiled fruit and then at the flying girls, too stunned to understand. The hot blood mounted to his forehead, he shook his fist in unreasoninganger and yelled, "Drat your pesky hides! Come back here and I'll tanyou good! What do you mean by spoiling all that high-priced fruit? Oh, if I just had my hands on you now!"

"You got only what you deserved, Dave Hartman, " said a quiet voicebehind him, and he whirled angrily toward his wife, who had come uponthe scene unnoticed. 

"All I deserved! Twenty quarts of fruit spoiled! Four dollars' worth, Myra Ann!"

"You should have been fair to the children and it never would havehappened. They have worked hard and earned their money. "

"Fair! I meant to be fair. I was just fooling with them. If she hadn'tbeen quicker'n greased lightning she would have got all that was comingto her. "

"How was she to know that? You looked so ferocious I don't wonder shetook you at your word. The best thing you can do now is to rescue thatfruit before the chickens have spoiled it entirely, and let me wash andcan it. Then you better go over and pay the children for their work. "

"Pay the children a dollar and a half for spoiling four dollars' worthof strawberries? Well, I should say not! They will never get anothercent out of me, no matter if they go barefooted all the rest of theirdays. "

CHAPTER IV

LITTLE FLOWER GIRLS

In the hot room, high up under the eaves of the little brown house, Peace sobbed out her anguish of soul, and then faced the problem ofshoes with a dauntless spirit. 

"We'll _have_ to have new ones when school begins again, and if we couldjust get some of these canvas things to wear during the summer, our oldones would last quite a while longer. Mercy, where does the money go?Seems as if there never was any to buy things we need with. Wish mytramp would come back and leave us another bill. Wish--why didn't Ithink of that before? The woods are full of flowers yet. I'll get Hopeand Cherry to help me make a lot of birch bark baskets and then Alleeand me will sell them in the city. My tramp said lots of folks would buythem if they got a chance. Oh, Cherry, let's go down to the creek andget some more bark. Tomorrow's Sunshine Club day and we will take MissDunbar some baskets for her flowers. "

Glad to distract Peace's thoughts from her great woe, Cherry agreed, andthe two made a hurried trip to the woods for material, getting not onlya big armful of bark, but also quite a bunch of moccasin flowers andtiger lilies, which they had chanced upon in an unexpected nook. 

"These will be lovely for tomorrow, and ought to sell better than theviolets would, 'cause they aren't so common, " said Peace, as she lookedlovingly down at the mass of red, gold and pink. 

"Ought to what?" asked Cherry. 

"Oh, dear, what have I said?" thought Peace in dismay; but quicklyconcealing her confusion, she replied, "They ought to look nice--makebetter dec'rations, 'cause these are the first I've seen this year. "

"Oh! I thought you said _sell_, and I wondered if you thought MissDunbar would pay us for them. "

"Oh, mercy, no!" laughed Peace, and Cherry questioned no further. 

But she would have been surprised had she seen this young sisterstealing out of the house the next morning with baskets and flowers inher arms, headed in the opposite direction from Miss Dunbar's villagehome. Once out of sight of the house, Peace broke into a wild run andnever stopped until the old stone bridge was reached. Here Allee waswaiting for her--a queer little figure in a faded blue gown of long, long ago, hatless, barefooted, but looking oh, so sweet, with hersparkling blue eyes and her mop of tangled yellow curls crowned with awreath of fragrant clover blossoms. "How long you've been!" she greetedPeace. "I thought you would never come. Where's Cherry?"

"I came as soon as I could, " was the panting reply, as Peace dropped herburden on the grass and smoothed out a rumpled pink dress of as ancienta style as Allee's. "I had to help with the dishes, and then Faith mademe take the milk to Abbott's so's Hope could do something for her. Ididn't want Cherry. It takes such a long time to knock any sense intoher head that we never would get into town today if she had to becoaxed. Besides, I thought if there were three of us, folks might thinkthe whole family was out peddling, and maybe wouldn't buy like theywould of just two. There, don't those boats look lovely? The only thingis, our basket won't hold as many as I hoped it would. I couldn't jam inbut fifteen. That will be enough, though, if we can sell them at tencents each. Oh, I've got a scheme! We will lay our flowers in the basketon the moss and hitch these horns on our dresses. I've got as many asten pins in my dress which I don't need for anything else. " While shespoke she emptied the birch bark boats of their brilliant cargo again, and deftly pinned the quaint devices to their gowns, so they dangledfantastically from their ribbon handles. 

"Now are we ready?" asked Allee, as the last flower was tucked carefullyaway in its bed of moss, and covered over with newspapers. 

"Yes, and well have to hurry or miss the car. It's quite a ways throughthe woods to the track. I wish they would run clear into Parker, don'tyou?"

They scrambled down the bank of the creek and scurried away through thetrees to the little clearing where the city cars stopped at the end ofthe line. 

"There's a car just ready to start, " panted Peace, and she waved herhand frantically at the conductor who was lustily shouting, "Allaboard!" and jangling the bell to hurry up any belated passengers. 

"Nearly missed it, didn't you, kids?" he said genially, as theyclambered up the steps and the car moved slowly away toward the city. 

"Yes, " breathed the older girl, settling her luggage on the seat andsitting down beside it. "I am very glad you waited for us. We're anxiousto get down town while our flowers are fresh. "

"Going to sell 'em?"

"Yes. You better buy a basketful. You can have a horn or a boat, andchoose your own kind of flowers. We've got pink and yellowlady's-slippers, tiger lilies, Johnny-jump-ups, baby's tears, and a fewJack-in-the-pulpits. "

As she made her explanation, she drew aside the paper protecting herprecious blossoms, and the man exclaimed in delight, "The woods! My, aren't they scrumptious? I'll take a boat. What is your price?"

"Ten cents. "

"Ten cents? Why, child, that isn't enough! Here's a quarter. Gimmelady's-slippers. And say, the motorman would like one, too. He's got agirl. Give him something swell--a little of everything. There, that'sright! Stick a tiger lily right in the middle and plaster up the edgeslike you did mine. Whee! ain't that gorgeous? I'll bring you the doughright away. " Snatching up the mass of vivid colors, he dashed up thelength of the car, thrust his head into the motorman's vestibule, andafter a moment's conversation came back and dropped a half-dollar intoPeace's trembling hand, saying, "That's his contribution. It's worth it. Why, there ain't a florist in the city who can show such beauties!"

"Mercy!" exclaimed the bewildered Peace, looking at her money and tryingto figure out how much more was needed for her wants. "That means a pairof shoes and one over. Why, Allee, if everybody would just pay likethat, we will get through quick, won't we? But I 'xpect lots of 'em willtry to make us take only a nickel. Just s'posing we get enough money tobuy shoes for the whole family! Wouldn't they be s'prised? Thank you, Mister Conductor, and thank the motorman, too. We would like to know hisgirl. Does she ever ride on his car and do you s'pose he would bringher over to play with us some day? We'd meet her at the end of the line. Or maybe she is too big for us. "

The conductor laughed in boyish delight, "Yes, I am afraid she is toobig. In fact, she is quite a lady--" Here the car stopped forpassengers, and their new friend went out on the platform where hestayed most of the time until they reached the heart of the city. But ashe helped them off the car at the busy corner nearest Cameron's ShoeStore, he said, "If I was you, I would go right over there in the doorof that big building. I think you can sell all the flowers you have. "

So they took up their stand as he had suggested, and waited forcustomers; but though many passers-by idly wondered at the odd littlefigures so overhung with birch bark trifles, no one stopped to inquiretheir business until a big, burly policeman, who had been watching thewistful, almost frightened little faces, strolled up to them and kindlyasked, "Are you lost, little girls?"

"No, sir, " promptly responded Peace, jerking aside the cover of herbasket and briskly beginning to fill one of the birch bark canoeshitched to Allee's dress. "We are selling flowers. Would you like achance to buy some that grew in the real woods? We've got money enoughnow for three shoes, but we need three more to have enough to go around. They are only ten cents each unless you want to pay more, but we won'tsell them for a nickel. "

Seeing the blue-coated officer talking with such odd little waifs, acrowd had quickly gathered about the trio, and a host of friendly voicesechoed the policeman's hearty laugh at the jumbled recital. 

"I'll take one, " shouted a fashionably dressed man, elbowing his way tothe front. "Give me a horn and fill it up with those little pansies. Ihaven't seen any of them since I was a kid. "

"Those are Johnny-jump-ups, " responded Peace gravely, detaching a hornfrom Allee's gown and heaping it up with the tiny flowers. "It's tencents or more. "

He laughed. "How much does 'or more' mean?"

"Much as you think they're worth. They came from the woods, you know. "

"And you think that makes them more valuable--worth more, I mean?" Andhe dropped a shining dollar into the small, brown hand. 

"Oh, yes! City folks can't often get wild flowers, my tramp says, andthey ought to be glad for a chance to pay high for them. "

The crowd shouted, and the policeman ventured to ask, "So you think lotsof the woods, do you?"

"You bet!" was the emphatic reply. "It's next best to heaven. Justs'posing the whole world was made up of these great, high, dirtyhouses, without any woods or flowers or trees anywhere. Wouldn't it bedreadful?" The dismal picture she painted was singularly effective, andother purchasers gathered around, clamoring for her wares. 

"I will give you a dime for one of those pink lady's-slippers, " said abent, old man. 

"Here's a quarter for a spray of those white blossoms, " another voicebroke in; and very quickly the fresh, beautiful, woodland flowerschanged hands, while the pile of coins in Peace's lap grew amazingly. 

A little, ragged, wan-looking bootblack edged through the crowd, andstood with wistful eyes fixed on the rapidly diminishing bouquets, drinking in their beauty, and wishing with all his heart that one ofthem might be his. He fingered the few pennies in his pocket longingly, and finally, unable to curb his desire longer, he touched Peace's armand timidly faltered, "Say, lady, will ye gimme one o' them red fellersfor a cent? I--I'd like one mighty well, and I ain't got no more moneyto spare. "

Peace lifted her big eyes to the pale, drawn, wistful face of the boy, possibly as old as Cherry, but no older, and a great wave of pity sweptthrough her heart. "You can have it for nothing. Here, take this wholebunch, " she said, emptying her basket and thrusting the last handful ofgorgeous bloom into his trembling hands. "I am sorry all the birch barkis gone, but I am sold out. You haven't any shoes, either. Cameron's areselling canvas shoes today at forty-nine cents a pair. We've got lotsmore'n enough money for Cherry and Allee and me--you can have this toget yourself some with. " And before her interested audience couldrealize what she was doing, she had selected a silver dollar from thejingling mass in her apron, and pressed it into the bootblack's grimyfist, while he stood like one turned to stone, staring at the money, unable to believe his senses. Then he took a step toward the littleflower girl, but a gentleman in the throng, deeply touched by theunusual scene, said, "Keep it, sonny, and thank the good God for suchsweet spirits as hers. Here is another dollar to keep it company. Betterrun home now and take a little vacation. You are sick. "

Then how the men cheered! And to Peace's utter bewilderment, one tall, dignified old gentleman, whose face looked strangely familiar, slipped ashining gold coin into her hand and another into Allee's, sayingreverently, "For the Peace which passeth understanding!"

She sat in puzzled silence for a moment, gazing first at the glitteringheap in her lap, and then at the sea of friendly faces about her, whilethe crowd waited in curious expectancy to hear what she had to say. Herlips opened once or twice as if to speak, then closed again; but at lastshe said simply, "You've paid lots better'n I thought you would, andnot a single once has anyone tried to buy a boat for a nickel. I--I wishwe could have brought you the whole woods, birds and all. You would haveliked it better. I b'lieve I said 'thank you' to every one who hasbought any flowers, but if I did forget, Allee hasn't. That was to beher part--just to say 'thank you, ' so folks would know we had somemanners and were glad to have you buy. But somehow, it feelshere"--putting her hand over her heart--"as if that wasn't enough, andso we will sing you a little song--that is, Allee will sing, and I'llwhistle. I can't really sing anything, Faith says, 'cept the tune theold cow died on. But Mike taught me how to whistle, and our ministersays I do real well for a girl. I tried to think of some thankful songto sing, but I can't remember a one just now, so we'll sing a lullabye. Are you ready, Allee?"

"Yes. "

"Then begin!" Peace puckered her rosy lips, Allee opened her baby mouth, and this is the song they sang:

 "Baby-bye, bye-oh-bye, Baby-bye, baby-bye, Mother's darling, don't you cry, Close your eyes for night is nigh; Baby-bye, oh, baby, Baby-bye, oh, bye. "

"Amen, " said Peace reverently. "Now we are going to Cameron's Shoe Storefor canvas shoes. What size do you s'pose a girl two years older'n Iwould wear? I forgot to ask Cherry. "

"The clerk will know, " suggested someone; and the crowd went theirseparate ways with smiles on their lips, while the two odd, childishfigures trudged around the corner to Cameron's Shoe Store to make theirimportant purchases. An obliging young man fitted the little feet withthe precious canvas slippers, and sent them away rejoicing with a pairfor Cherry, promising to exchange them for others if they failed to fit. 

"Now we'll go home, " said Peace, as they stepped out onto the sidewalkagain. "Won't Gail and Faith be s'prised? I guess we've got 'most moneyenough left to get shoes for the whole family after all. Well, sir, ifthey haven't changed those cars since we went into the shoe store! Wecame down on a big yellow one that said, 'Twentieth Avenue North' on it, and here they are running two little bits of cars hitched together thatsay, 'Onion Depot!'" Peace employed the phonetic method of pronouncingwords, and to her young eyes u-n-i-o-n was easily _onion_. 

"What are you going to do about it?" asked puzzled Allee. 

"Sit down here on the sidewalk and wait till they change them backagain, " was the reply; and Peace plumped herself down in a bunch on thecurbing to watch for the yellow car which did not come. One hour draggedby, --two, three. Allee was getting restless. Dinner hour had long sincepassed, and she was very hungry. "It's getting pretty late, I guess, "she ventured at last. "When do you s'pose the car will come?"

"I s'pect there's been a fire somewhere and stopped it. That happenedonce when Gail was in town. "

"Maybe we better start to walk, then, " quavered the little voice. "I amtired of sitting here, and Gail will fret if we don't come prettyquick. "

"Well, perhaps we better--"

"Peace Greenfield! What on earth are you doing here?"

The two children flew to their feet with a cry of relief, "Oh, Mrs. Grinnell, our car is never coming!"

"No, I guess it won't on these tracks, " she replied grimly, guessingfrom the children's appearance something of the truth. "Does your motheror Gail know you are here? Pile in and ride home with me. Like as notyour folks are half crazy with fright. "

So the weary duet climbed thankfully into the buggy and were drivensafely back to Parker, where they were met by four white-faced sistersand a swarm of anxious neighbors. 

"Got shoes for the whole outfit!" cried Peace by way of greeting; "andif Cherry's don't fit, the clerk said bring 'em back and he'd change'em. We've sold all our flowers, and one man gave each of us some funnyyellow quarters--or I guess they are half dollars. It says on one side, 'Five D. ' and I suppose that means five dimes, doesn't it? Why, Gail, what are you crying for? I sh'd think you'd laugh to think there arethree pair of shoes already bought, and money enough for the rest ofyou. "

CHAPTER V

SACKCLOTH AND ASHES

Just at dusk one cold, rainy night late in August, a shabby, weary, wet, old man plodded through the dripping woods, across the stone bridge, andup the road toward Parker. He had come a long way through mud andmoisture, and was very tired, yet the first three farmhouses he passedby with scarcely a glance. But as he neared the fourth one, he eagerlyscanned the place as if familiar with its surroundings, and listenedintently for the sound of voices, seeming disappointed at the result, for apparently not a creature was stirring indoors or out. Not even oldTowzer came to challenge him as he unlatched the gate and approached thehouse, and not a ray of light shone out into the darkness from window ordoor, though it was yet early evening. The place was as silent as agrave. Puzzled, the man made a circuit of the cottage, but neither sawnor heard anything of the occupants. 

"I wonder what has happened, " he thought to himself. "Guess I won'tknock, it might scare them if they have gone to bed. Maybe they are awayvisiting. I will just slip into the barn and go to bed in the hay. LuckyI had a big dinner, I am not in the least hungry now, and if they areat home I can get breakfast here in the morning--I guess. "

He had tramped many long miles since dawn, trying to reach this townbefore nightfall, and was so worn out with his exertions that he fellasleep almost as soon as he had burrowed a comfortable bed in thesweet-scented hay, nor did he awake until the new day was several hoursold. The sun was shining--he could tell that from the bright light inthe barn, but it was not the sunshine which had awakened him. 

The first thing he was conscious of as he opened his eyes to unfamiliarsurroundings was the sound of voices close by, and the patter of feet onthe loose boards overhead. Cautiously he lifted himself on his elbow andlooked about him, but at first he saw only an untidy confusion of gardentools, boxes, bags and other truck, piled promiscuously about whereverspace would accommodate them. Then as his eyes became more accustomed tothe light, he discovered a slender, brown-haired girl in a faded, dingy, calico gown huddled on top of a pile of empty grain sacks in the darkestcorner of the barn. Her face was turned from him, but from her attitudeand the sound of an occasional sniff, he judged that she had beencrying. Her companion on the rafters overhead was out of range of hisvision; but as she scrambled noisily over the loose board floor, whichextended only half way across the building, he could catch a glimpse ofred now and then, and once a bare, brown foot appeared in view, but thatwas all. Not daring to make his presence known for fear of frighteningthe two sisters, he drew silently back into his hiding place to awaittheir departure. 

Sniff, sniff, sniff! The slender shoulders of the girl in the cornerbegan to heave, and she buried her face deeper among the grain sacks. Silence on the rafters for a brief moment; then a voice said severely, "'F I was you, Faith Greenfield, I'd stop crying and go into the houseand help Gail. She is trying to do the washing herself so's to savemoney. "

"'F I was you, Peace Greenfield, " was the tart reply, "I'd try to mindmy business once in a while, and not be forever poking my nose intoother folks' affairs. "

"Guess this is my affair as much as 'tis yours!" answered Peace sharply, and the listener in the hay below fancied there was the suggestion of asob in her voice. 

"It's none of your affair if I want to come out here by myself, but youcan't even let me alone here. You are always snooping around to see whatI am doing. "

"I am _not_ snooping!" was the indignant denial. "I'm hunting eggs forbreakfast, and I was here first, 'cause I saw you come in bawling. "

"Bawling!" Faith leaped to her feet in wild fury. "You know well enoughwhy I am crying. You would be crying, too, if you cared like I do. "

"I can cry with my heart without stopping to cry with my eyes, " Peaceanswered soberly. "I haven't time to sit down and bawl. Someone's got torun errands and help Gail. S'posing we all sat up and cried all the timelike you are doing. Who would get breakfast and dinner and supper, I'dlike to know? And who would 'tend to the work?"

"Who wants any breakfast or dinner or supper? I am sure I don't! Ihaven't the heart to eat. I _can't_ eat!"

"Dr. Bainbridge told us we must, and so did Mr. Strong; and he told usto keep busy, too. It helps you to forget the ache if you work. "

"Forget! You don't care; that's why--" There was a sudden movement onthe rafters above, and an egg came hurtling through the barn, smashingon the wall close by Faith's head--so close that a shower of littleyellow spatters flew over her face and dress. "Peace Greenfield!"

"You haven't got half what you deserve, " said a tense, hard voice fromabove. "I ought to have slung the whole batch, even if we'd had to gowithout breakfast. I'd like to know how _you_ can tell whether you caremore than the rest of us. You think you are the only one that knows howto be sorry. "

There was a sudden silence--deep, ominous, it seemed to the man in thehay, and he ventured to peep out at the combatants, but all he saw wasFaith standing rigid and white-faced in the corner. When she spoke, hervoice was frigid in its intensity. 

"Come down from those beams, Peace Greenfield, and take the rest ofthose eggs to the house!"

"I am coming down as fast as I can, " began Peace's voice, equallyfrigid. Then there was a sound of ripping, a dreadful clatter, a dullthud, and Faith rushed forward with the agonized scream, "Oh, Peace, Peace, are you hurt? I am sorry I was ugly! You _do_ care! Open youreyes, Peace! Oh-h-h-h!"

The tramp started up in dismay, to behold Peace huddled in a heap at thefoot of the ladder, with frantic Faith bending over her. Before he hadstepped from the haymow, however, there was a rush of feet from without, and four frightened girls dashed into the barn, followed by a tall, young man in clerical garb; and the shabby figure slunk back into hishiding place without making his presence known. 

"What's the matter?"

"How did it happen?"

"Is she dead?"

"Run for the doctor!" cried the excited voices. 

"Oh, Gail, I've killed her, I've killed her!" sobbed Faith. 

"Stand back, girls, " quietly commanded the minister, pushing thetrembling quartette almost roughly aside. "Let me examine her. Perhapsshe is only--"

"I'm every bit all right, " exclaimed Peace crossly, winking her browneyes dazedly. "The fall _stunted_ me, I guess. I lit on my head. So didthe eggs. Mercy me! What a mess!"

"But look at her face!" wailed frightened and penitent Faith. "She hasturned black, and so have her hands!"

She certainly _had_ changed her color. 

At Faith's despairing cry, the victim of the fall raised one of herbrown hands and looked at it fixedly; then said briefly, "That's ashes. It's on my face, too. It will wash off, won't it?"

Without reply, the minister lifted her to her feet and drew her into thedoorway where the sunlight fell upon her. The sisters looked at thegrotesque picture, and exclamations of horror and dismay burst fromtheir lips. 

"Peace, what have you done to yourself?"

"Are you sick?"

"What have you got on?"

She presented a strange appearance, truly, draped in dirty, raggedburlap, with face, hands and hair covered with ashes, and smeared fromhead to foot with broken eggs and bits of eggshell. 

The tramp hid his face in the hay to stifle his chuckles, the ministercovered his twitching lips with his hands, but the little group ofsisters gazed at the apparition with only horror in their eyes. 

Then, to everyone's amazement, Peace began to cry. In an instant Gailhad slipped her arms around her, and had drawn the brown head down onher shoulder, where for a moment the child sobbed heartbrokenly. Then, with a mighty gulp, she swallowed back her grief and explained, "I heardHope reading about the people who put on ash-cloth and sashes--I meansackcloth and ashes whenever any one of their family died, so's theangels would let the soul into heaven. No one did that when papadied--and we don't know whether he ever got to heaven or not--but he's aman and could take care of himself, s'posing he didn't get in. Withmother it's different, though. She's a ninvalid, and I couldn't bear tothink of her outside the gates all alone with none of us to take care ofher--so I put on potato sacks--that's sackcloth, ain't it?--and ashes. The eggs got there by mistake. They were whole when I began to climbdown that ladder. "

The picture was so ludicrous, the explanation so piteous, that betweentheir wild desire to laugh and the stronger desire to cry, it was ahysterical group who closed in once more about the grotesque littlefigure, while the earnest-hearted, sympathetic young preacher swept awayPeace's fears, and gave her the comfort and assurance she sought. 

"Sackcloth and ashes were merely outward signs of mourning for nationsin ages past, " he told her. "It didn't help anyone get into heaven. Itdidn't even show how great were their sorrow and grief; and when peoplecame to realize that, they ceased to follow the custom. God knows howsorrowful we are, for He can read our very thoughts. It doesn't needsackcloth and ashes to carry our loved ones home, dear. They lived good, noble, true lives in His sight while they were here on earth, and now Hehas taken them home--inside the Gates--to live with Him always. "

"You are sure?" hiccoughed Peace. 

"Perfectly sure! The Bible tells us so. "

"Where? I want to see for myself. "

He drew a worn Testament from his pocket, turned to the FourteenthChapter of St. John, and slowly, impressively read those beautifulwords, "In my Father's house are many mansions, " explaining hisunderstanding of the passage so clearly, so comfortingly that finallythe tears were dried and the aching hearts soothed. 

At length the grief-stricken company repaired to the house for theirbelated breakfast, while the tramp, touched to the quick by the pathosof the scene he had just witnessed, made his way across the fields andthrough the woods, leaving only a crumpled ten-dollar bill among thegrain sacks to tell of his visit. 

CHAPTER VI

THANKSGIVING DAY AT THE BROWN HOUSE

"Gail!"

"Yes, dear. "

Peace stood at the kitchen window looking out into the winter twilight, heavy with falling snow, but as she spoke, she turned her back on thescene without, and walked over to the table where the oldest sister wasbusy kneading bread. "Are we going to have turkey for tomorrow? It'sThanksgiving Day, you know. "

"We can't afford turkey, Peace. "

"Chicken, then?"

"No. "

"But we keep chickens ourselves, Gail! I'll kill one for you if it'sjust 'cause you can't chop its head off. "

A smile flashed across Gail's sweet, care-worn face. "It isn't that, dear. We can't spare any. All our extra roosters we used for brothwhen--"

"Yes, I know, " interrupted the smaller sister hastily. "But haven't wegot a tough old hen that isn't good for anything else?"

Again Gail smiled, but answered patiently, "I am afraid not, Peace. Allour hens are laying now, and eggs mean money. We can't afford to killthem. "

"Can't we buy one?"

"There is no money. "

"Have you used up all we made selling flowers?"

"That went long ago. "

"And the bill we found in the barn?"

"No, dear. We don't know whose that is, or where it came from. Someonemay come along and claim it one of these days. "

"I don't see how anyone could have _lost_ that money in the barn, Gail. It was _pinned_ down to the grain sacks with a real pin. Folks don'tcarry bills around in their pockets with pins in them; and s'posing theydid, if the bills dropped out of their pockets, they wouldn't up and pin_themselves_ onto gateposts and grain sacks. Someone must have left themfor us to use. First I thought it was my tramp, and that maybe he was aprince in disgust"--she meant disguise--"but now I think it was Mr. Strong, even if he did say he had nothing to do with it. "

"Peace! Did you ask him again, after I told you not to mention it?"

"N-o, not ezackly. I just wrote it on a piece of paper and he did thesame. You never said I mustn't _write_ it, Gail. "

"What did you write?" asked Gail, faintly. 

"I just said--well, here's the paper. I kept it 'cause he is such apretty writer. "

She drew a crumpled scrap out of her pocket, smoothed it out carefully, and passed it over to Gail. At the top of the page in Peace's childishscrawl were scribbled these words, "Didn't you reely put that muny inour barn?" Below, in Mr. Strong's firm, flowing handwriting, was theanswer, "I reely didn't. " "Are you purfickly shure you aint lying justto be plite?" was the next question. "Purfickly shure. " "Cross yourheart?" "Cross my heart. "

Silently Gail dropped the slip back onto the table and fell to mouldingher biscuit vigorously, biting her lips to hide a telltale smile. 

Peace watched her for a time and then began again, "Are we going to havemeat of any kind tomorrow?"

"I am afraid not, dear. "

"What--what do you 'xpect to have?"

"Just potatoes and cabbage and beets, I guess. "

"It will seem kind of hard to be thankful for such a dinner as that, won't it?" sighed Peace. 

"There are lots of people in the city who won't have that much--unlessthe churches and Associated Charities give them dinners. "

"I wish someone would give _us_ a turkey. I could be lots thankfullerover a drumstick than over a cabbage leaf or a beet pickle. "

"That isn't the right spirit, dear, " remonstrated Gail, wondering howshe could clinch her argument with this small sister. "Thanksgiving Daywas created so we might have a special day to thank the Lord for theblessings He has given us during the year--food and clothing and homeand family. "

"Yes, teacher told us all about that, but seems to me people ought togive thanks every day instead of saving them up for a whole year andpraying them all in a lump. "

"Oh, Peace! I didn't mean that. People do thank Him every day. Don't wealways say grace when we sit down at the table? But Thanksgiving Day isa special time for giving thanks. It is in the fall after the crops areall in, and the barns are full of hay and grain, and the cellars filledwith vegetables; and we thank Him for the good harvests. "

"S'posing the harvests ain't good? We didn't get much off from our farmthis year. I am tired already of turnips and carrots. "

"What if we had no vegetables at all?"

"Well, that would be worser, wouldn't it? I s'pose we ought to be gladfor even that. "

"Yes, dear; there is always something to give thanks for. Suppose youtake a piece of paper and write out all the things you have to bethankful for this year. "

The idea was a novel one to Peace, and after a moment of debate, shesearched out pencil and tablet, drew up an old hassock beside a chair, which she used as her table, and laboriously began to compile her listof thankfuls. She finished her task just as Gail announced the supperhour, and dropped the sheet, scribbled full of crooked letters, into themending basket, where Gail found it that evening when the three littlesisters were fast asleep in their beds. Hope was busy with her lessonsand Faith sat listlessly in front of the wheezy organ, idly playingsnatches of melody. So Gail spread the paper out on the table and readwith reverent eyes what Peace had written from the depths of her heart:

 "I am thankful cause my tramp didn't burn us up with his matches. 

 "Dito (dito means I am thankful and its lots shorter to rite) cause of the muny pined to the gatepost and granesaks in the barn, but I'd be more thankful if Gale would spend it. 

 "I am thankful cause Mr. Strong says our 2 angels got inside the gates all right. 

 "Dito cause there ain't any more of us angels. 

 "Dito cause Hector Abbott got licked for teezing lame Jenny Munn--his name just fits him. 

 "Dito cause Mr. Strong is our preecher--he's got some sense. 

 "Dito for his wife. 

 "Dito for Towzer. He's a good dog. 

 "Dito for all the rest of our family. 

 "Dito cause we have some shoes to wear this winter. 

 "Dito cause for carrots and beets and turnips and cabbige and potatoes. They don't take the place of turkey, but they are good vittles. 

 "Dito for the hens that lay eggs so we cant kill them for Thanksgiving dinner. 

 "Dito for the eggs. They meen muny, Gale says. 

 "Dito for the hot biskits we are going to have for supper. 

 "Dito cause this paper wont hold any more. My hand akes. 

 "Amen. Peace Greenfield. "

For a long moment Gail sat with tear-dimmed eyes fixed on the queer listbefore her; then she reverently tucked the badly-written sheet awayamong her treasures, and in her heart offered up a little prayer ofthanksgiving for the blessed gift of so many sisters. 

Thanksgiving Day dawned clear and cold upon a world of dazzlingwhiteness, and with the first ray of the sun, Peace flew out of bed, scrambling into her clothes with such eager haste that Cherry opened hereyes and demanded, "What are you hurrying for? The house is cold as abarn. Gail slept late this morning, and the fire can't be more thanbeginning to burn. "

"Huh, I don't care! It snowed last night, and I'm going out to shovel, "was the scornful reply. "If you want a chance to help, you will have tohurry. "

Allee scrambled out from the warm blankets, but Cherry snuggled downcloser in the pillows with a contented grunt, and was soon lost inslumberland again, so the two youngest sisters had the wholesnow-covered world to themselves when they stepped out into the wintermorning with shovel and broom. 

"Whee! Isn't this fine!" cried Peace, whirling a cloud of featheryflakes off the porch with one sweep. "We won't need the shovel at all, the snow is so light. "

Beauty-loving Allee stopped awestruck on the threshold to drink in theglory of the winter dawn, saying slowly, "It is--it looks like--"

"Ice-cream, " finished Peace. "S'posing it was ice-cream and we couldhave all we wanted. Wouldn't we be a sick crowd by night?"

The startled sister pulled on her mittens and trudged down the steps towork, and in a few minutes, the porches and paths were swept clean. 

"Wish there was more to do, " sighed Allee, when they had finished theirchosen task, unwilling to go indoors even for breakfast. 

"Tell you what, " cried Peace, from her perch on the gatepost. "Let's godown to the village and sweep paths for money. Perhaps we could earnenough to buy a chicken. "

"All right! Where will we go?"

"Judge Abbott will pay us, I'm sure, and Mr. Strong would hire us, too, if he hasn't swept his own walks. Maybe Lute Dunbar isn't home yet andwe can get their paths. "

Without further discussion they sped away to town, dragging their broomsbehind them. But here disappointment awaited the small toilers, for atnearly every house some enterprising soul had already cleared away thelight snow. 

"Lute Dunbar must be at home, I guess, " sighed Peace, when she beheldthe neat paths circling that house; "and Mr. Strong has swept his wholeyard, looks like. Well, Judge Abbott's porch is all covered yet. Hectoris lazy. We will try him. "

Marching up to the door, she knocked timidly, but to her dismay, no oneanswered, though three times she repeated the summons. 

"What shall we do, go back home?" asked Allee, visibly disappointed, forvisions of roast chicken were very alluring to her. 

"No, " answered Peace with sudden decision. "We'll sweep his paths andcollect our pay when it is done. "

So again they fell to work making the snow fly briskly, and in a shorttime had cleared steps and walks, but apparently no one was yet stirringwithin doors. 

"Guess they are still in bed, " suggested Allee. "We will have to comeback later. "

"If we are going to have chicken for dinner we ought to get it as soonas possible, so's Gail can fix it, 'cause it takes hours to cook. I'mgoing to knock again and see if I can't wake someone. It's time theywere up anyway. Rich folks do sleep an awful long time in the morning. "

Mounting the steps once more, she knocked loudly, with no result. Ahappy inspiration seized her, and picking up her broom, she tapped onthe door with the handle. No one came. 

"I don't b'lieve that is loud enough, " whispered Allee. "You'd betterpound. "

"I think so myself, " answered Peace, clutching the broom like abattering ram and giving the door three resounding thumps that shook thehouse from cellar to garret, and sounded like the booming of a cannon. 

"Try it again, " urged impatient Allee, and again the broom struck thepanels with thunderous force, once, twice--

The door burst open with sudden fury, and an angry-faced man in a longbathrobe confronted the paralyzed children with the fierce demand, "Whatin creation do you want?"

"It--it's time to get up, " stammered Peace. "I mean, it--it snowed lastnight. I mean, we've swep' your walks off. We s'posed you'd be glad topay us for our trouble. "

"Well!" ejaculated the man, too much surprised for further speech. 

"We've swep' real clean--better than Hector ever does. "

"Well!" repeated the Judge, an amused gleam in his eyes chasing away theangry frown. "How much do I owe you, Peace? You are Peace Greenfield, are you not?"

"Yes, sir. A quarter will do, I think. The snow was very light, butyou've got lots of porch and walk. "

"That's a fact, we have. Here is a quarter for you, and many thanks foryour good work. "

"You are much obliged, " she answered gravely, mixing her pronouns in herhaste to slip the coin inside her damp mitten. "I wish you a merryThanksgiving. "

With a whoop of delight she bounded down the steps, snatched Allee'shand, and rushed away up the street to the butcher shop for theirchicken, never pausing for breath until she had dropped the money ontothe counter before the astonished proprietor, who was making ready toclose his shop for the day. "A quarter's worth of chicken, Mr. Jones, "she panted. "I was afraid you would be gone before we could collect fromthe Judge. "

"Sorry, Peace, " answered the astonished man, "but I haven't any chickensas small as that. "

"Haven't you a cheap old hen?" she faltered, almost too disappointed tospeak. 

"No, I am afraid not. "

"And you can't sell me a _piece_ of chicken?"

"No, we never do that, either. "

"Oh, dear, " sighed Allee. "We swep' that walk all for nothing!"

But Peace's bright eyes had caught sight of a tall, wooden bucket on thecounter, and now she demanded, "Is that oysters?"

"Yes, jimdandies. "

"That's next best to chicken. I'll take a quarter's worth of them. Wewill have a Thanksgiving after all, Allee. "

Bearing the precious burden carefully in her arms, Peace was hurryingdown the street toward home, followed by the happy Allee trailing thetwo old brooms, when they were halted by an excited, boyish voice, screaming lustily, "Peace, oh Peace! Wait a minute! I've got somethingfor you. "

She stopped short in the snow and waited impatiently for the boy toovertake her, more interested in her bucket of oysters than in theprospect of a gift from him; but as he drew near, she saw he carried twowhite, furry bundles, and her eyes grew bright with anticipation. 

"Surely not your bunnies, Bryan?" she gasped. 

"Yep! We are going to move back to the city on Monday, and papa said Imust leave these here. They will starve with no one to take care ofthem, and you always thought they were so pretty, I decided to give themto you--that is, if you want them. "

"Want them? Oh, Bryan, they are the cutest things! I like pets and neverhave had any all of my very own, 'cept the chicken Mr. Hardman stole. Give one to Allee, and I will carry the other. Tuck your broom underyour arm, Allee, and give me mine. There! I'm awful glad you broughtthem to us, Bryan. We will take real good care of them. "

Once more the sisters trudged on their way, happily excited and eager toshow their new possessions to the family at home. 

"Gobble, gobble, gobble!"

Allee screamed, dropped her broom and almost let go of the little whiterabbit in her fear. "Oh, Peace, he's after us again and we can't run!"

"Maybe he won't touch us if we don't look at him, " began the oldersister; but the old gobbler, with ruffled feathers and wattles flaming, came straight toward them, and Peace stopped with a jerk. 

"Drop your bunny in my skirt, Allee, grab that broom and hit the gobblerover the head. Mr. Hardman said to do that whenever he bothered us andhe would soon get tired of it. " As she spoke she gathered her skirt upapron-fashion, and thrust both rabbits within the folds, while Alleesnatched up the broom, according to instructions, and made ready for theattack. 

"Gobble, gobble, gobble!" The enemy advanced rapidly, but before hecould strike either child the blue-eyed baby let the hard-wood stick flywith all her might over the fierce old head, and without another soundthe monstrous bird crumpled up in the snow. 

"Mercy!" screamed Peace. "You've killed him! There, don't cry! Hold yourcoat for the rabbits while I tote this thing up to Hardman's house. Itold you to hit him, but Mr. Hardman told us, too. "

Laying down her own burdens, she seized the heavy turkey by the neck anddragged it up the path to the door of the green house. "Here's your oldbird, " she chattered, when Mr. Hartman answered her knock. "He'll nevergobble again! We hit him over the head, just as you told us to, and helaid right down and died. But we never meant to kill him. If you chophis head off right away, he will be good to eat yet, for we just nowfinished him. 'F I had the money, I'd pay for him, just so's we couldhave a Thanksgiving dinner over at our house, but I spent all I had foroysters, and, besides, I s'pose likely you would charge more'n a quarterfor him. You told us to hit him, you know. "

With never a word of reply, the dazed man dragged the carcass into thehouse and shut the door, leaving Peace glaring indignantly after him. "Well, that's manners, " she finally sputtered, and stamped angrily awayto help Allee home with her load. 

"Here are some oysters, " she announced, depositing the paper bucket onthe kitchen table. 

"We earned them shoveling Judge Abbott's porches off. And here are BryanTenney's rabbits. He has given them to us for keeps. "

"Well, you can march them straight back, " declared Faith, with energy. "Where do you expect to keep rabbits on this place?"

"In a box of hay in the barn. We may keep them, mayn't we, Gail?"

"They will die of cold, " protested Faith. 

"We won't let them. There are lots of gunny sacks we can cover over thebox until it gets warmer. "

"They will dig the whole farm up and spoil the garden when springcomes. "

Gail was perplexed. How could she refuse the children's eager eyes? Yetclearly they could not keep the little animals. There were scarcelyenough vegetables in the cellar to last the family until the wintermonths were over, let alone feeding a pair of hungry rabbits. 

While she hesitated, Hope entered the room, and with a cry of rapture, she snatched up one pink-nosed bunny and hid her face in its fur, exclaiming, "Oh, you darlings! Are they yours, Peace? We will fix upthat old, big box in Black Prince's stall and they will be as cosy asbabies. What shall you call them?"

"Winkum and Blinkum, " was the prompt answer. "Their noses are neverstill. Shall we fix up the box right now?" The four younger sistersgathered up the rabbits and departed for the barn. The question wassettled to their satisfaction, at least. 

In the meantime, at the Hartman house the gentle little wife was busilyplucking the mammoth gobbler, while Mr. Hartman stood idly by thekitchen window, gazing out into the winter sunshine. But his thoughtswere not idle, and when at length the great bird was stripped clean, heturned to the woman and said, "What are we going to do with the thing?If they had just killed it before we dressed one for ourselves--"

"Better take it over to them. It's too late to dispose of it to thebutcher, and I am afraid they will have a pretty slim dinner. Mrs. Grinnell thinks they are badly pinched for money. "

"Sho, now, Myra Ann! It's just because they don't know how to manage. They've got one of the best farms in this part of the country. "

"It's mortgaged, and you have the mortgage. "

"Yes, but with proper handling they ought to clear that off easily. "

"They had to sell Black Prince--"

"And got a fancy price for him, too. That alone would pretty nearly havepaid the mortgage. If they are hard up, it's their own fault. "

"Mrs. Grinnell is in position to know if anyone does. The mother'ssickness must have been terribly costly, and now they are orphans. Theyare in a bad way, I feel sure, and this turkey would come in mightyhandy. "

He offered no further arguments, but a few moments later, when Gailanswered a knock at the kitchen door, she found their neighbor standingthere with the turkey in his arms. Almost too surprised to understand, she accepted his offering, and he was gone before she could stammer outher thanks. 

Then how they bustled in the little brown house, preparing such a dinneras they had seldom eaten before, oyster dressing, creamed carrots, mashed potatoes, gravy, and--the height of extravagance--cake andcustard, such as only Faith could make. Oh, but that was a dinner!Nevertheless, as the six hungry girls gathered around the table full ofdainties their faces were sober at the sight of the two empty chairs inthe corner, and each heart bled afresh for the mother who had left themonly a few short months before. 

Seeing the shadow in the eyes of her sisters, and feeling depressed bythe abrupt silence, Gail sought to make the sun shine again byremarking, "I am thankful for so many things, I hardly know which to putfirst; but I think I will call it friends. That will include them all. "

Faith dropped her eyes and made no attempt to speak. 

Perceiving this, Hope, with hardly a pause, began, "I am thankful forthis beautiful day. The world was so spotless and white when we woke, itseemed like angels' wings had covered up all the sin. "

"I'm thankful we have enough to eat and wear, " said Cherry. "There is afamily with seven children just moved into that tumble-down old house onthe next road, and they look starved to death, to say nothing of therags and patches they wear. "

Peace was busily engaged in "being thankful over a drumstick, " but asCherry ceased speaking, she lifted her round eyes from her plate, andstopped chewing long enough to say, "I am thankful my nose doesn'ttwitch all the time like my rabbit's, that my ears don't grow out of thetop of my head, and that I don't have to hop with both feet wherever Iwant to go. "

Five knives and forks fell to the table with a clatter, five napkinsflew simultaneously to as many faces, and five voices shrieked out achorus of mirth. 

It was Thanksgiving Day at the little brown house. 

CHAPTER VII

PEACE SURPRISES THE LADIES' AID

"Girls, here are some eggs to be delivered, " said Gail one snowyDecember day as Cherry and Peace came stamping in from school. "Onebasket goes to Judge Abbott's, and the other to Dr. Bainbridge's. "

"Oh, Gail, " cried two protesting voices, "this is the afternoon we wereto gather evergreens in the woods for decorating the church. The bazaarbegins tomorrow. You promised we might go. "

"I had forgotten, " murmured Gail. "I am sorry, but the eggs must bedelivered before night. "

"Why can't Hope go this once?"

"She is taking care of the Edwards baby. "

"Where is Faith?"

"In bed with a headache. "

"She _always_ has a headache when there are errands to be done. "

"Peace!"

"Those houses are the furthest apart in town. Dr. Bainbridge lives atone end of the street and the Judge at the other. "

"I am sorry, but eggs mean money, you know, and Christmas is coming. "

"Well, I s'pose we must, " sighed Cherry. 

Peace's face brightened suddenly. "I'll tell you--let's each take abasket and see which can get there first. Then we'll meet at the churchand go to the woods from there. "

"All right, " agreed Cherry. "You take the Judge's and I'll take theDoctor's. "

So they snatched up their burdens and hurried merrily away, much togentle Gail's relief, for she found it hard to disappoint these smallsisters in their gala days. 

As far as the church the two went the way together, but here their pathsdivided, and they parted, calling back warnings to each other. 

"Be sure you wait at the church until I get there. "

"Be sure you hurry, for there isn't much time before dark, and the womenhave to finish dec'rating tonight. "

Then how they scampered down the snowy street, regardless of the frailtyof the loads they bore!

Peace's errand was soon done, and she was back at the little church in asurprisingly short time, but no Cherry was in sight anywhere; so she satdown on the steps to await her coming. It was snowing quite hard now, and the wind grew cold as the afternoon waned. 

"Seems 's if I should freeze sitting here, " said the shivering child toherself after stamping her feet and flapping her arms like a Dutchwindmill, in her efforts to get warm. "What can be keeping Cherry? She'san awfully long time tonight. I s'pose Mrs. Bainbridge has got a gabbingstreak on and will keep her there the rest of the day listening to her. Cherry never can get away when folks begin talking to her. I ought tohave gone there myself. Bet it wouldn't have taken me this long. My, butit's growing cold! I wonder if I can't get inside someway. I thoughtsure the ladies would be here before now, but I don't see anyone about. "

She jumped to her feet and tried the door. It was locked fast. 

"Maybe Mr. Strong is in his study and will let me stay there awhile. "But the study door was also secure. "Well, the basement window ain'tfastened, I know, 'cause 'twas only yesterday that Hec Abbott broke itwith a snowball. I can crawl through that and go upstairs into thechurch. "

Scurrying around the building to the broken window, she crept cautiouslythrough the sash, just big enough to admit her body; and dropped to thecement floor below. Considerably jarred--for the window was high in thewall--she gathered herself up and felt her way up the dark stairs to themain floor, relieved to find the hall door unlatched so she could stepout into daylight once more. 

"Must have been someone here already, " she exclaimed in surprise, "'cause the booths are all up and trimmed. Maybe they don't want anymore evergreens. Well, I'll wait for Cherry and we will see then. P'rapssome of the ladies are coming back, for the furnace is still burning. "

She made a tour of the church, admiring the pretty decorations, andamusing herself by climbing over the seats like a squirrel, while shewaited for Cherry, who did not come. At length she grew tired, the roomswere warm and dim, and before she knew it she was becoming drowsy. 

"I'll just curl up in this old coat and rest a bit, " she thought. "Cherry will make noise enough so I will hear when she comes. " Butbefore the belated sister reached the church Peace was fast asleep, andher ears were deaf to the trills and whistles outside. Thinking theyounger girl had grown impatient at waiting and, regardless of herpromise, had gone on to the woods, Cherry stopped only long enough tomake sure that Peace was nowhere about the grounds before she hurriedaway to join her mates in evergreen gathering. 

How long Peace slept she did not know, but the sound of voices in heateddebate roused her from her nap, and she heard Mrs. Wardlaw's sharp tonessaying, "Well, I, for one, don't believe in getting her a suit forChristmas. She dresses better now than most of us can afford. We neverhad a minister's wife before who paraded the clothes she does. "

"But she came here a bride, practically, " remonstrated a lessaggressive, but just as decided a voice, which Peace recognized as Mrs. Bainbridge's. "They haven't been married two years yet. Brides alwayshave more clothes than any other women. Nevertheless, they wear out, andit doesn't stand to reason that hers will last any longer than ours do. "

"She has worn at least three cloth suits since she came, besides all hersummer finery, and two or three separate skirts. I suppose that is whereall Brother Strong's salary goes. Stylish! Why, she is a veritablefashion plate!"

"I don't see how you can say that, Mrs. Wardlaw. She certainly looksvery neat and up to date in everything she puts on, but I can't seewhere there is any fashion plate about her. I call her a very sensiblelittle woman, just the kind of a wife Brother Strong needs. "

"Well, I am not disputing how much sense she has, but I still declarethat she has clothes enough now, without our furnishing her any more forChristmas. "

"That's all you know about it!" cried an indignant voice behind them, and both startled ladies turned hastily around to find a pair offlashing brown eyes glaring out from under the janitor's old coat in thecorner, "If Mrs. Strong didn't know how to cut and sew, she would be apretty ragged looking minister's wife by this time. "

Peace crawled out of her warm bed and shook an angry little fingeraccusingly at the women, who exclaimed in unison, "Peace Greenfield, howdid you come here, and what do you want?"

"I don't want anything. I clum in the window so's I wouldn't freezewhile I was waiting for Cherry, and I guess I went to sleep. But I heardwhat you were saying, and it ain't so, Mrs. Waddler! Mrs. Strong hasn'tgot a lot of clothes. The parsonage burned up where they were last time, and 'most everything they had to wear was burned up, too. That prettygray suit she had when they first came here she dyed brown after youupset a pot of coffee on it at the church supper that night. But thebrown didn't color even, so she ripped it to pieces and dyed it black. It was all wearing out, too, so she had to put some trimming on theskirt to cover up the holes. I was over there and saw her do it myself. She cut over her wedding dress to have something nice to wear lastsummer, and all those sep'rate skirts you talk about are some of hersister's old ones. She hasn't spent a cent for clothes since she boughther straw hat, and that cost two dollars and a half. Mr. Strong told meso, himself. He says she's a jewel of a wife and if there were morewomen like her in the world there would be more happier homes. That'sjust what he said. Ministers don't get paid enough to keep them in_victuals_, hardly. I know, 'cause I am part of a minister's family, ifpapa's church in Pendennis hadn't starved him out so he got sick and hadto stop preaching, he might not be an angel now. 

"S'posing you was a minister's wife, how would you like to have folks beso stingy mean to you? Wouldn't you like nice clothes to wear and goodthings to eat? I was there for supper one night last week when youlugged in a jug of buttermilk, Mrs. Waddler, you know you did, when youhad promised her fresh milk. I heard you promise. Do you s'pose shecould use buttermilk in her coffee or make custard pie out of it? Shehad told Mr. Strong that she was going to make one for his supper, andhe was 'most as disappointed as I was when she couldn't do it. 

"Deacon Skinflint sent her some fresh eggs, too, that were so old youcould smell 'em before the shells were broken. I told her 'twas a mercyhe hadn't sent her chiny nest eggs, and she _laughed_! If it had beenyou, Mrs. Waddler, you'd have jawed good!"

Peace paused for breath. Mr. Strong and his adorable little wife wereher idols, and she could not bear to hear them slandered in any way, butshe had forgotten herself, her manners, everything, in the defense ofher friends; and now, realizing how rude she had been to one of thesewomen confronting her, she dropped her head in shamed silence, andnervously twisted the skirt of her coat about her trembling hands, waiting for the lecture she felt that she deserved. 

To her surprise, none came; but after an awkward pause, during whichboth women were doing some hard thinking, Mrs. Wardlaw said humbly, "Wouldn't you like to go to Martindale with us some day next week andhelp us select material for Mrs. Strong's new suit? Maybe you would knowwhat she likes better than we do, Peace. "

Peace's eyes shone with delight, but she answered mournfully, "I can't, I am afraid, 'cause there's school every day but Saturday, and that'sour Sunshine Club afternoon. I know what she likes best, though. I askedher once what kind of cloth made the prettiest suit, and she said shethought longcloth did--navy blue longcloth. "

"She means broadcloth, " murmured Mrs. Bainbridge under her breath. 

"Of course, " smiled Mrs. Wardlaw amiably. "So you think navy blue iswhat she would prefer?"

"Yes, she likes blue, and it just matches her eyes. Hasn't she got thebluest eyes and the goldest hair? Just like Hope's and Allee's. A silkwaist would be nice, too. She never had but one in her life. "

At this juncture a head was thrust through the hall door and animperative voice called, "Mrs. Bainbridge, the children have come backjust loaded down with greens. Come show us where you want them and we'llhang them before supper time. "

CHAPTER VIII

A MYSTERIOUS SANTA CLAUS

"Merry Christmas, Gail, Faith, Hope, Charity, Allee! Merry Christmas, everyone! My stocking has _something_ in it, I can see from here. Wakeup! Wake up! I want to look at my presents!"

A drop of something hot struck the tip of Gail's nose, and she openedher sleepy eyes to find a white-robed, shivering figure shaking hervigorously with one hand, while in the other was a tiny, flickeringcandle, which dribbled hot wax prodigally as it was tipped about withreckless abandon by the excited pleader. 

"What are you doing with that lighted candle?" demanded Gail, diggingthe wax off her nose and dodging another drop. "Put it out before youset the house on fire. It isn't morning yet. It can't be! I have hardlyslept at all. "

"The clock struck a long time ago, " insisted Peace with chatteringteeth, "and I counted much as five. "

"Five o'clock!" protested Gail. "Oh, surely not! Well, if it is thattime, I suppose you can get up. Seems awfully quiet for that hour, though. " The older sister began the process of dressing, and in a fewmoments all six girls were gathered around the roaring fire in thekitchen, excitedly examining the contents of their stockings, which Gailhad painstakingly filled with homemade gifts and a little cheap candyfrom the village store, --her one Christmas extravagance. 

"Mittens!" cried Peace, investigating the first package her excited handdrew forth. "You knit them, didn't you, Gail? I saw Mrs. Grinnellteaching you how. Mine are red. Have you got some, Cherry?"

"Yes, blue; and Allee's are pink. Aren't they pretty?"

"Just see my lovely knit slippers, " cried Hope, throwing her arms aboutGail's neck and hugging her with a vim. "Where did you get all the yarn, sister?"

"I found a lot in the attic, " replied the oldest girl, smiling happilyat the children's appreciation of her labor; but she did not explainthat a gorgeous, moth-eaten, old afghan had been raveled to provide allthose pretty things. 

"What is in your stocking, Faith?"

The girl held up a dainty white waist, but said never a word, for sherecognized that Gail's patient fingers had re-fashioned for her one ofthe dear mother's hoarded treasures, and her heart was too full forutterance. 

"I've got some handkerchiefs, " called Peace again, "and a ribbon--if Ionly had some hair to tie with it! It's too wide for a band, and that'sall I can wear--here's an apple, a penwiper and some candy. You've gotpretty nearly the same c'lection, haven't you, Cherry, and so have Hopeand Allee. I wonder how Mrs. Grinnell happened to give me a hair-ribbonwhen she knows that my hair ain't long enough to tie back. "

"How do you know Mrs. Grinnell gave it to you?" demanded Gail, tooastonished to reprove her. 

"I was in there one day when she had been to Martindale, and the ribbonshappened to be on the table all unwrapped. This was one of them. Now, Gail, see what Santa Claus has brought you. There's at least one thing, 'cause--"

Cherry clapped her hand over her younger sister's mouth, and began togiggle. So did Gail, when she drew forth from her stocking a bulkypotato pig with toothpicks for legs, match-heads for eyes and a drywoodbine tendril for a tail. 

"Who in the world made that?" she laughed, tears close to the surface, for she had expected nothing this Christmas day. 

"Mr. Strong, " gulped Peace, dancing with delight at her sister's evidentsurprise. "Look at his back! We put a saddle on the old porker. Isn'tthat cute? It's a spandy new dollar with this year's date on it. See?"

Gail turned the curious animal over, and sure enough, there was abright, shining Goddess of Liberty, skilfully sunk in the pig's potatoback. 

Swallowing back the lump in her throat, which threatened to choke her, Gail whispered, "Where did you get it, dear? The money, I mean. "

"We took up a c'lection, " was the startling answer. 

"A collection!" echoed Gail. 

"Yes. You know last Sunday was Home Mission day, and the money was to besent to poor ministers' families on the pioneer--"

"You mean frontier, " corrected Hope. 

"Well, whatever ear it was, " continued Peace, serenely; "and that mademe wonder why folks never took up c'lections for poor ministers'families right here among them. I asked Mr. Strong about it, and he saidwe would take up another c'lection straight away, and buy a Christmaspresent for a 'hero minister's hero mother-daughter. ' He made me learnthose words; and we got a dollar in ten cent pieces without half trying. I 'spect we could have raised a fortune if we'd had more time, but thiswas on our way home from school yesterday. We couldn't find anythingpretty enough to buy here at the village, and it was too late to go toMartindale for it, so we changed the dimes into a dollar and put it inthe potato pig. He said it ought to be a shining white angel, but I toldhim right away that we had angels enough in this family already, and hebetter make a horse. That is what he tried to do, but it looked so muchlike a pig when he got done that I pulled off the string tail and maneand put on a pig's tail, and he said it did look better. You are to usethe money for your very own self and--"

The clock began to strike. One--two--That was all. 

"Mercy me!" ejaculated Peace, staring at the accusing faces of hersisters. "I truly did hear that clock strike as much as five a long timeago. "

"No doubt you did, " laughed sunny Hope. "It struck midnight and you wokeup in the middle of the count. "

"Let's go back to bed, " suggested Gail, anxious to be alone with hertumultuous thoughts; and to her surprise no dissenting voice was raised, although as she crept once more beneath the covers of her cot, she heardPeace say decidedly, "I sha'n't take off _my_ clothes again. Once a dayis enough for any _huming_ being to dress. Do you s'pose Santa will comeagain while we sleep?"

It was daylight before they woke from their second nap, and as Peaceflew out of bed once more, she cried in delight, "Oh, it's snowingagain! Now it will seem like Christmas sure! Let's clean off the walksbefore breakfast. Gail won't let us eat our candy yet. "

She made short work of her toilette, threw on her wraps and was out ofdoors almost before Cherry had opened her eyes; but the next moment shecame stumbling back into the house with the wild yell "Girls, girls, Santa Claus did come again, and left a tre-men-jus big mince pie on theporch--I picked a teenty hole in the top to see for sure if 'twasmincemeat--and a bundle of something else. Hurry up, I can't wait toopen it! Oh, the paper fell off, and it's shoes--tennis slippers in thewinter! Think of it! That is worse than Mrs. Grinnell's hair-ribbon, ain't it?"

"Peace!" cried Gail in shocked tones, entering the kitchen with the restof the family at her heels. "You should be _grateful_ for the presentspeople give you and not poke fun at them. "

"I am grateful, Gail, truly. I ain't poking fun at them, honest, thoughthey _are_ funny presents for this time of the year. I s'pose, maybe, myhair will get long enough for a ribbon sometime, though Mrs. Strong saysit is too curly to grow fast. And when summer comes, we can wear theseslippers, if they aren't too small. They look awful little already. These are marked for Allee, and here are mine, and those are Cherry's. There aren't any for the rest of you. I s'pose the pie is for you. You're lucky. I would rather have the pie than the shoes. "

"Oh, Peace!"

"Well, wouldn't you? There is someone at the front door. "

Gail disappeared through the hall to answer the knock, and Peace, withher new shoes in her hand, slipped out of the kitchen door. "Just as Ithought, " she muttered to herself. "Mr. Hardman brought them over. Hethinks they will make up for that money he never paid us last summer, but they won't. He can just have his old shoes right back again!"

Out to the barn she marched, hunted up a scrap of paper and a pencilleft there for just such emergencies, laboriously scribbled a note, which she tied to the slippers, and deposited the bundle on the Hartmansteps, where he found it when he came out to sweep paths. "Well, Iswan, " he exclaimed, half in anger, half amused, as he picked tip therejected shoes, "if she hasn't trotted them slippers back! Peace, ofcourse. Let's see what she says. " Carefully he untied the little slipand read:

 "Here are your shoes. Im greatful but this is the rong seesun for them. By summer they will be to small as they aint very big now. Ive got over wanting tenis shoes anyhow. The muny you owe us would have come in handier. Peace Greenfield. "

He tucked the note in his pocket, dropped the shoes on the kitchenmantle, and went chuckling about his morning work. Hardly had hefinished his numerous tasks, when he was surprised to see Peace comingslowly up the path, with eyes down-cast and face an uncomfortable red. She knocked lightly, as if hoping no one would hear, and lookeddisappointed when he opened the door. 

"Merry Christmas, Peace. Come in, come right in, " he said cordially, his eyes gleaming with, amusement. "What can I do for you this morning?"

"Give me back the shoes I left on your porch, " she answered, in tones solow he could hardly hear. "Gail said I must come over and get them andipologize for being so rude. She says it is very rude to returnChristmas presents like that. If you meant them for a present, why, that's different; but I thought likely it was our pay for pickingstrawberries last summer. Now, which was it, a present or our pay?" Theold, independent, confident spirit asserted itself once more in thelittle breast, and Peace raised her eyes to his with disconcertingfrankness. 

"Well, well, " stammered the man, hardly knowing what to say. "Supposethey are a Christmas present, will you accept and wear 'em?"

"When it comes summer time, if I haven't outgrown them. My feet aregetting big fast. "

"But if they are in pay for the strawberry picking, you won't take them?Is that it?"

"I s'pose I will have to take them after Gail's lecture, " Peace sigheddismally, "but I'll never put 'em on--never!"

Delighted with her candor and rebel spirit, he said, after a briefpause, "Well, now, I mean them for a Christmas present, Peace, and I'dlike mighty well for you to wear them. If they are too small, come nextsummer, I will get them changed for you. Will you take them?"

"Y--e--s. "

"And be friends?"

Peace hesitated. "Friends are square with each other, ain't they?"

"I reckon they are. "

"Then I don't see how we can be friends, " she said firmly. 

"Why not?" His face was blank with surprise; and his wife, who had beena silent spectator of the scene, laughed outright. 

"'Cause you owe us a dollar and a half for picking strawberries lastsummer, and if you don't pay it, you ain't square with us, are you?"

"Well, I swan!" he mumbled. Then he, too, laughed, and thrusting hishand into his pocket, drew out a handful of silver. "Here are six silverquarters, a dollar and fifty cents. That settles our account, doesn'tit?"

"Yes. "

"And I've treated you on the square?"

"Yes. "

"And you will come sit on my lap?"

"I don't s'pose it will do any hurt, " she answered grudgingly, for shehad not yet adjusted herself to this new friendship with her one-timeenemy, but she went to him slowly and permitted to lift her to his knee. 

"There, now, " he said, settling her comfortably. "That's more like it!Now that I have settled my account with you, tell me what you are goingto do about the money you owe me?"

"Dave!" interposed little Mrs. Hartman, but he laughingly waved heraside. 

"What money that I owe you?" gasped poor Peace, the rosy color dyingfrom her face. 

"Didn't you dump twenty boxes of my strawberries into the chicken yardlast summer?"

"Y--e--s. "

"Those berries sold for twenty cents a box. Twenty times twenty is fourdollars. You spoiled four dollars' worth of berries, Peace Greenfield. Are you being square with me?"

The child sat dumb with despair, and seeing the tragedy in the great, brown eyes, Mrs. Hartman again said, remonstratingly, "Dave!"

"Hush, Myra Ann, " he commanded. "This is between Peace and me. If we areto be friends, we must be square with each other, you know. "

There was a desperate struggle, and then Peace laid the shining quartersback in his hand, saying bravely, "Here's my first payment. I haven'tthe rest now, but if you will wait until I earn it, I'll pay it allback. I will have Hope figure up just how much I owe you, so's I willknow for sure. Can you wait? Maybe you will let me pick strawberriesnext summer until I get it paid up. Will you? 'Cause what money I getthis winter I'd like to give to Gail for a coat. She has to wearFaith's jacket now whenever she goes anywhere, and, of course, twopeople can't wear one coat at the same time. "

"No, they can't, " he answered soberly, with a suspicion of a tremble inhis voice. "Is that what you meant to do with this money?"

"Yes. Gail got a dollar for Christmas, and I thought this would 'mostmake enough to buy a good coat for her. She needs one dreadfully. "

Mr. Hartman slipped the money into the grimy fist again, cleared histhroat and then said, "Now, I've got a plan. You keep this dollar andfifty cents for your work last summer, and when the strawberries areripe again, we'll see about your picking some more to pay for thespoiled ones. Is that all right?"

"Yes, " cried Peace, giving a delighted little jump. "You aren't nearbad, are you?"

"I hope not, " he replied with a queer laugh. "Can you give me a kiss, doyou suppose?"

"If you will skin me a rabbit, " she answered promptly. 

"If I'll what?" he yelled in amazement, almost dropping her from hislap. 

"Skin me a rabbit. Winkum and Blinkum are starving to death--Faith saysso--and they really don't seem as fat as when Bryan gave them to me; soif we can save them by eating them up, we better do it. Don't you thinkso?"

"Well, now, that might be a good idea, " he answered slowly, for heregarded rabbits as a nuisance, and was not anxious to see any suchpests in his neighborhood. "Stewed rabbit makes a pretty good dish, too. "

"That's what I had heard. Will you skin them for me?"

"Yep, any time you say so. "

"All right, I'll get them now and we will have them for dinner. "

She was off like a flash before he could say another word, returningalmost immediately with the squirming rabbits in her apron, and hedressed them carefully. By the time the long process was finished herface was very sober, and she offered no objections when he claimed twokisses instead of one as his reward, but gathering up the haplessbunnies, she departed for home. 

"Here's our Christmas dinner, Gail, " she announced, dumping her burdenonto the cluttered kitchen table. "I wish it had been chicken, but Mr. Hartman says stewed rabbit is real good. "

"Where did you get these?" demanded Gail, surmising the truth. 

"They are Winkum and Blinkum. Mr. Hartman undressed them for me. I gotmy shoes back, and here's the strawberry money for your new coat, Gail. "As clearly as possible she made her explanations, and went away to putup the tennis slippers, leaving dismayed Gail to face the uniquesituation. 

"What can I do?" she cried, almost in tears. 

"Get yourself a new coat, if you can find one for the price, " answeredFaith, listlessly scrubbing a panful of turnips for dinner. 

"I don't mean the coat. I had scarcely thought of the money. I mean therabbits. "

"Cook them! People eat rabbits. "

"But these were pets. "

"They are dead now. You might as well use them as to throw them away. Wehave no turkey or chicken for dinner. "

Gail shivered, but obediently cut up the rabbits and put them on thestove to cook, mentally resolving not to eat a bite of them herself. 

The morning hours flew rapidly by, the dinner was done at last, and thehungry girls were scrambling into their chairs when Faith cried sharply, "Hope, you have set seven plates!"

Instinctively each heart thought of the absent member, gone from themsince the last Christmas Day, and Gail reached over to remove the extradishes, when Hope stopped her by saying, "Teacher read us a beautifulpoem of how some people always set a place for the Christ Child on Hisbirthday, hoping that He would come in person to celebrate the day withthem, and I thought it was such a pretty idea that--I--I--"

"Yes, dear, " said Gail gently. "We will leave the extra plate there. "

"It does seem queer, doesn't it, that we have big dinners on ChristmasDay 'cause it is Christ's birthday, and then we never give Him a dish, "observed Peace, passing her plate for a helping. 

"Did the Christ Child come?" asked Allee eagerly. "In the story, Imean. "

"Not in the way they looked for Him, " answered Hope. "But a littlebeggar child came. Some of the family were going to send it out into thekitchen to eat with the servants, but one little boy insisted that itshould have the empty chair they had set for the Christ Child. So theragged beggar was pushed up to the table and fed all he wanted. When thedinner was over, a great shining light filled the room and Christappeared to tell them that in feeding the little beggar they hadentertained Him. It was all written out in rhyme and was _so_ pretty. What is the matter, Gail? You aren't eating anything. "

The other sisters paused to look at the older girl's plate, and Gail'ssensitive face flushed crimson, but before she could offer anyexplanation, Peace abruptly dropped her knife and fork, pushed herdishes from her, and burst into tears. 

"Why, what ails you, child?" cried Faith, who herself had scarcelytouched the dinner before her. 

"I can't be a _carnival_ and eat my bunnies, " sobbed Peace. "I'd as soonhave a slab of kitten. "

"That's just the way I feel, " said Cherry, and no one laughed at Peace'srendering of _cannibal_. 

In the midst of this scene there was a knock at the kitchen door, butbefore anyone could answer, Mrs. Grinnell rustled in, bearing in herarms a huge platter of roast turkey, which she set down upon the tablewith the remark, "It was that lonesome at home I just couldn't eat mydinner all by myself, so I brought it over to see if you didn't want mefor company. "

"You aren't a ragged beggar, " Peace spoke up through her tears, beforethe others had recovered from their surprise; "but I guess you'll do. You can have the chair we set for Jesus. "

Gail explained, while the platter of stewed rabbit was being removed, and once more dinner was begun. The turkey was done to a turn, thedressing was flavored just right and filled with walnuts and oysters, the vegetables had never tasted better, the biscuits were as light as afeather, Mrs. Strong's cranberry sauce had jelled perfectly, and theHartman mince-pie was a miracle of pastry. The seven diners did the mealfull justice, and when at last the appetites were satisfied, the tablelooked as if a foraging party had descended upon it. 

"That was quite a dinner, " remarked Peace, as she pushed her chair backfrom the table. "If I had just known it was going to happen, Mr. Hartmanneedn't have skinned the rabbits. There is a whole platter full ofWinkum and Blinkum left, and it's all wasted. Mercy me, what a shame!"

She went out into the kitchen and surveyed the rejected delicacy withmournful eyes. Then a new idea occurred to her, and, with no thought ofirreverence, she murmured to herself, "I don't believe the Christ Childwould have cared whether He had turkey or rabbit for dinner. I'm goingover and get that _passle_ of half-starved German kids to eat this up. "

Throwing Gail's faded shawl over her head, she ran across the snowyfields to the old tumble-down house on the next road, where the newfamily lived. The children were at play in the yard--seven in all, andnone of them larger than Hope--but at sight of her they came forwardhand in hand, jabbering such queer gibberish that Peace could notunderstand a word. 

"Come over to my house and have some dinner, " she invited them, but notone of them moved a step. "We've got a whole platter of stewed rabbit, "she urged, but they only stared uncomprehendingly. "Perhaps you have hadyour dinner. Are you hungry?"

"Hungry, " suddenly said the oldest boy, putting one hand to his mouthand the other on his stomach. "Ja, sehr hungrig. "

Peace was delighted with the pantomime method of making herselfunderstood, and imitating his motions, she pointed to the little brownhouse and beckoned. 

"Ja, ja, " cried the chorus of seven, their faces beaming with pleasure, "wir kommen. " And they quickly followed her across the snow to thekitchen door. 

"Gail, I have brought the Christ Child, " she announced, as she usheredthe ragged, hungry brood into the house. "I thought it was a pity towaste all that salt and pepper you used in fixing up Winkum and Blinkum, so I invited these ragged beggars over to eat it up. "

Mrs. Grinnell gasped her surprise and consternation. Faith exclaimedangrily, "Peace Greenfield!" But Gail, with never a chiding word, sprangto the table and began clearing away the soiled dishes, while Hope ranfor clean plates; and in short order the seven little towheads werehovering around the platter of stewed rabbit and creamed potatoes, revelling in a feast such as they had never known before; nor did theystop eating until every scrap of food had vanished. Then they rose, bowing and smiling, and trying in their own tongue to thank theirhostesses for the grand dinner. 

Peace was captivated with their quaint manners and reverent attitude, and when they had backed out of the door, she went with them to thegate, kissing her hand to them as they disappeared down the road, stillcalling over their shoulders, "Du bist das Christkind!"

"I don't know what they are saying, " she murmured, "but it makes me feellike flapping my wings and crowing. " She leaped to her tall gatepost togive vent to her jubilant feelings, but tumbled quickly to the groundagain without stopping to crow. "Abigail Greenfield!" she shouted, racing for the house. "See what was on the gatepost, --a nenvelope withmoney in it, and on the outside it says, 'Christmas greetings to the SixSisters. ' Now will you believe someone lost it? It ain't Mr. Strong'swriting, though. Maybe the Christ Child brought it. Oh, Gail, do yous'pose He did?"

CHAPTER IX

FAITH'S AWAKENING

"Do you know where Faith is?" asked Gail one Saturday morning in earlyspring, finding Hope busy at making the beds, which was the oldersister's work. 

"She discovered a heap of old magazines somewhere about the place and isin the barn reading. Says her head aches too hard to work today, "answered Hope, with an anxious pucker in her usually serene forehead. 

"I don't know what to do with that girl, " sighed Gail, as she adjustedher dustcap and picked up a broom. Her face looked so worried, and hervoice sounded so discouraged that Hope paused in her task of plumping upthe pillows to ask in alarm, "Do you think she is any worse than usual?"

"She gets worse every day, " answered Gail, somewhat sharply, and twotears rolled slowly down her pale cheeks. 

"Oh, dearie, don't cry, " coaxed Hope, dropping her pillows and throwingher arms about the heaving shoulders. "It will be better pretty soon. I'll do all of Faith's work. I only wish I were older. "

Peace waited to hear no more. She had gone upstairs for a clean apronbefore setting out for town with a basket of eggs and, unknown to thetwo sisters in the room across the hall, had heard all they said. 

"I didn't s'pose Faith was sick, " she whispered with white lips as sheflew down the path to the gate, swinging the heavy basket dangerouslynear the ground in her heedlessness. "I thought she was just lazy. Shenever does anything but mope around the house and read or play theorgan, but I thought it was 'cause she didn't want to. S'posing sheshould die! Then we'd have three angels. Oh, dear, I don't see why onefamily should have so many! I wonder if there isn't something that willcure her. Gail hasn't called the doctor yet. I am going to ask himmyself!"

She slipped through the gate and sped up the road toward town, stillmusing over this new trouble, and so completely wrapped up in herthoughts that she did not even see her beloved Mr. Strong until hecalled to her, "Why, hello, Peace! Are you coming over to see our babytoday! Elizabeth, will be glad to have you. "

Her face lighted up at sight of her friend, but she shook her head athis invitation, and soberly replied, as she hurried on, "I'd like to, but I can't this time. I must take these eggs to the doctor's house. Some other day I'll come and play with Baby Glen. "

Not to stop to discuss the welfare of the precious new baby at theparsonage was very strange for Peace, for she loved the beautiful boy asmuch as she did his parents, and was always eager to hear of his latesttricks, no matter how pressed for time she might be. But today she wastoo worried to think of even little Glen. 

Breathlessly she climbed the steps to Dr. Bainbridge's big house, justas the busy physician appeared in the doorway ready for his round ofcalls, and in her eagerness to stop him before he should climb into thewaiting carriage, she quickened her pace to a run, tripped on the doormat, and tumbled headlong, eggs and all, into a drift of half-meltedsnow in the corner of the porch, announcing in tragic tones, "Dr. Eggs, I have brought you some Bainbridge, and here they are all spilled in thesnow. It's lucky you aren't a very neat man, for if you had cleared offyour porches the way you ought to, these eggs would likely have beeneveryone smashed. As 'tis, there is only one broken, and one morecracked. I'll bring another--"

"Are you hurt?" the doctor managed to stutter in an almost inaudiblevoice, so overcome with surprise was he at the avalanche of eggs andexplanation. 

"No, and only two of the eggs are, either--Oh, don't go yet!" Shescrambled hastily to her feet and laid a trembling, detaining hand onhis coat sleeve, as she demanded in a shaky voice, "Is Faith real bad, do you think?"

"If people had more faith--" he began jestingly; then stopped, seeingthe real anxiety in the serious brown eyes, and asked gently, "What istroubling you, child?"

"Faith, as usual. What is the matter with her? Gail cried about her thismorning, and Hope said maybe she would get better pretty soon. Theydidn't know I heard. Is she real sick? I thought she didn't do any work'cause she was lazy--I mean 'cause she didn't want to. I didn't know shewas sick. What d'sease has she got?"

"Well, as near as I can make out, " answered the doctor gravely, "she hasa case of acute imagination. She thinks she is mourning, but she is tooselfishly wrapped up in her own grief to see the sorrow of others. Shehas stepped out from under the burden of the home and let its fullweight fall upon shoulders too slender to bear it. The sun doesn't shinefor her any more, the birds don't sing, the flowers have lost theirfragrance. What she needs is a good dose of common sense, but we don'tseem to be able to administer it. If only we could put a cannon crackerunder her chair, maybe it would rouse her. Oh, I was just speakingfiguratively; I didn't mean the real article, " he hastened to assure hissmall audience, as a gasp of horror escaped her. 

The doctor had waxed eloquent in his diagnosis of the case, and thoughPeace failed to understand half that he said, the grave, almost harshlook about his mouth and eyes struck terror to her heart, and shefaintly faltered, "Is--do you think Faith will be an angel soon?"

He looked at her in amazement. "No!" he thundered, and she shivered athis tone. "It will take ages to make an angel of Faith if she keeps onin the way she is going. Gail is the angel if ever there was one, andHope's wings have sprouted, too--"

"Oh, " moaned Peace, with wide, terrified eyes, "I don't want Gail andHope to be angels! We need them here! We could spare Faith easier thanthem. Oh, Dr. Bainbridge, ain't two angels enough for one family?"

The kindly old doctor suddenly understood, and patting the little hood, covered with bits of eggshell and particles of ice, he saidremorsefully, "There, there, honey, I didn't mean that kind of angels! Imean just dear, good, blessed girls, such as make the world better forhaving been in it. There is no danger of their flying away to the otherland just yet, my child; though goodness only knows what will become ofGail if Faith isn't waked up soon. I must go call on my sick folks now, little girl. I'd drive you home if I were going that way, but I am duethis very minute at the opposite end of town. Don't you fret, but be anawfully good girl yourself and help Gail all you can. When Faith comesto her senses and goes to work at something, she will be all right. "

They parted, and Peace slowly wended her way home again, somewhatrelieved, and yet considerably alarmed over the doctor's words. Down tothe barn she wandered, and up the rickety ladder she climbed into thecobwebby loft. A figure moved impatiently at the far end of the looseboards, and as Peace's eyes became accustomed to the dim light, she sawit was Faith, curled up among a lot of ragged papers and coverlessmagazines, musty and yellow with age. 

"What are you ba--crying about!" asked Peace in awed tones, as the othergirl sniffed suspiciously and then wiped her eyes, already red withweeping. She expected to be told to mind her business, but contrary toher expectations, Faith answered:

"This is the _saddest_ story, --all about a girl who loved one man andhad to marry another. "

Peace's nose curled scornfully, and she said, with great contempt, "Idon't see any use in bawl--crying about that. Those story people neverlived. Real folks have more sense. "

But Faith had gone back to her magazine of sorrows, and never even heardthis small sister's criticism. So Peace dropped down on a heap ofsacking, propped her chin up with her elbows on her knees, and fell tostudying the face opposite her, noting with alarm how thin it had grown, and how darkly circled were the brown eyes so like her own. Fear lestDr. Bainbridge did not know how ill she really was gripped her heart, and she sighed heavily just as Faith finished her chapter and roused tosearch for the next number of the magazine. 

"What is the matter?" she demanded, looking at the sober little facewith surprise. 

"Are you sick?" asked Peace in an awestruck whisper, ignoring hersister's question. 

"No. Why? My head aches some, but that is all. "

"I sh'd think it _would_ ache, " cried the child in sudden indignation. "Why did you poke up here where there ain't any window to read by?You'll be blind some day if you _amuse_ your eyes like that. Teachersaid so to all our class the day she found Tessie Hunt reading on thebasement stairs. If you've got to read all the time, why don't you goout-doors or by a window? It's enough to make anyone's head ache the wayyou mope around reading all the time. Dr. Bainbridge says as soon as youget up and go to work you'll be all right. "

Faith's face flushed angrily and she demanded, with some heat, "What doyou know about what Dr. Bainbridge says?"

"I asked him a-purpose to see whether you were going to be an angelsoon. "

For a moment Faith was too startled for reply, and then she askedcuriously, with a queer flutter in her heart, "What did he say!"

"He just howled, 'No--o!' as loud as he could shout, and after that hesaid, more quiet-like, that you'd never be an angel as long as you kepton the way you are going. He says you need a good, common dose of senseand a cannon under your chair. He said Gail and Hope are the angels, andwhen I cried and told him we could spare you easier'n we could them, hesaid that he didn't mean sure-enough angels which fly away and nevercome back, but good, _sensitive_ blessings that make the world better. He says you've got a _cute minagination_, and when you wake up and helpGail bear the slender burden on your shoulders, everything will be allright. "

Profound silence reigned in the barn for what seemed an eternity toPeace, and then Faith burst forth hotly, "I never saw such a meddlesomechild in all my born days, Peace Greenfield! What did you tell thedoctor? Why did you chase to him in the first place? Do you want to getthe whole neighborhood to gossiping about our affairs? I suppose yougave him the whole family history, from the time of Adam. "

"I never did!" Peace indignantly denied. "I don't know of any Adam 'mongour relations. I found Gail upstairs crying about you this morning, andHope promised to do all your work. I couldn't see why Hope should doyour work unless you were going to be an angel, so I went to the doctorabout it, and that is why he told me. He said we must help Gail all wecould--"

"Why don't you, then, instead of causing her trouble whenever you turnaround? You are into something the whole time to fret and worry her. Don't talk about me until you are perfect yourself!"

"I ain't perfect, but I _try_ to help, and you know it. Don't I helpCherry with the dishes every single day, and dust the parlor and bringin wood, and hasn't Hope turned over setting the table to me?"

"And don't you break half the dishes?"

"I've broken only one plate and three cups, and I bought new ones out ofmy snow money, so there! When summer comes I'm going to pickstrawberries for Mr. Hartman, and when I've paid up for those I spoiledlast year, I'm going to give the rest of the money I earn to Gail tohelp her all I can. 'F I could make the lovely cakes you do, I'd go'round the streets peddling them. "

"If you were I, you'd do wonders, " Faith broke in bitterly. 

"Well, Mrs. Abbott told me herself that if the village baker could cooklike that she would get all her delicate things there instead ofbothering the girl with them, 'cause, in a little subu'b like this, shecan't get a cook and a second girl to stay at the same time, and acommon hired girl doesn't know beans about cakes and nice cookery. Mrs. Lacy said she'd take a cake reg'lar every week if she could get suchnice ones as yours; and the butcher--guess what the butcher asked meyesterday! I went in his shop on my way home from the minister's, and heasked me when we were going to break up housekeeping here. "

"What did you say?" cried Faith, as the meaning of his question dawnedupon her, though Peace evidently had not understood. 

"I didn't know what he was driving at, so I asked him, and he said hehad heard that we were going to leave this house and go to live withdifferent people in town. He wanted to know if he could have Cherry, 'cause he thinks she is so pretty. I told him he needn't joke with melike that, but he just laughed and _in_sured me that Mr. Strong wasgoing to take Allee, and Dr. Bainbridge wanted Hope, and that you andGail were to work in Martindale, and I was the broom of condemnation. "

"The what?" cried Faith in amazement. 

"The broom of con-dem-nation, " repeated Peace slowly, seeing that shehad made a blunder, but not understanding just wherein it lay. "It meanswhen a lot of people want the same thing. "

"Perhaps you are trying to say 'bone of contention, '" suggested Faith, somewhat sarcastically. 

"Maybe 'twas. Anyway, he says Mr. Hardman wants me--but I don't wanthim, I can tell you that!"

"I thought you had signed a treaty of peace and were friends now, "murmured the older girl, considerably amused at the child's belligerentattitude, in spite of her troubled thoughts. 

"Oh, we are friends all right, but not bad enough so's I want to go livewith him. Though I don't know as it would be any worse there than withJudge Abbott, and he's the other fellow who wants me. My, the way heglared at me Thanksgiving morning, when we shoveled the snow off hisporch, scared me stiff! I thought he was going to make us shovel it backon again, but he didn't. And the time my snowball knocked Hector's teethloose, I was sure he was going to 'rest me, but I couldn't help if Hecopened his mouth just in time to get that ball; and anyway, he deservedit, 'cause he was pulling Mamie Brady's red hair and calling her Carrotstill she cried. I told the Judge that Hec needed to have more than justhis teeth knocked loose, and he laughed and marched him home by theear. "

"Peace, have you told Gail this?"

"About Hec's teeth?"

"No, about what Mr. Jones said to you?"

"Not yet. I didn't think it was a very nice joke, so I never told anyonebut you and the preacher. Mr. Strong said he'd see that the butcherdidn't tease me any more. "

"Well, if I were you, I would forget all about it, but don't ever tellGail. She might take it in earnest and feel badly about it. "

Peace eyed the older girl, as if trying to fathom her meaning, butFaith's face was like a mask, and after a brief pause, the childanswered, "I don't mean to; but ain't I glad she can't guess all mythinks! Just s'posing everyone knew what everyone else was thinking, wouldn't some folks be scrapping all the time? Brains are queer things. I used to wish I could see one when it was doing its thinking, but Iguess God knew his business when he put them inside our heads, where noone else can watch them. "

"Peace, Peace! Where are you?" called an excited voice from below, andthe brown-eyed philosopher jumped up from her burlap couch with theshout, "Coming, Allee! I hope you find your senses pretty soon, Faith, for the doctor says when that happens you will be all right and not haveany more headache. "

The faded red coat disappeared down the ladder, and Faith was left aloneagain. But she read no more. The sad story had lost its interest, andshe cast aside the magazines without another glance. Was what Mr. Joneshad told Peace true? Was there a possibility that the home must bebroken up? Was the doctor right in his verdict? Did all the sisters feelthat she could be spared the easiest? That was a fierce battle Faithwaged with herself in the barn, but when it was ended adetermined-faced girl rose from the dusty floor, descended the oldladder, and hurried away toward the village. It was noon before shereturned, and the five sisters, anxious over her unusual absence, werejust sitting down to a frugal dinner of mush and milk when she enteredthe door, looking excited and queer, but with a happier light in hereyes than had been there for months. 

The minute grace was said, Peace demanded suspiciously, "Where have youbeen all this time?"

"Drumming up trade, " was the startling answer. "I've got six regularcake customers, and several who promised to buy of me when they neededanything in my line. "

Faith was awake at last. 

CHAPTER X

COMPANY FOR SUPPER

"Cherry, do you know it's 'most night, and those girls aren't at homeyet? They said they'd sure be here by four o'clock, and here 'tis fiveand they haven't come. " Peace was plainly worried, and with ahalf-impatient sigh, Cherry closed her fascinating story book and joinedher sister watching at the window for the belated girls who had gone intown with Mrs. Grinnell that morning. 

"P'r'aps the horse run away, " suggested Allee. 

"They were coming back on the car, 'cause Mrs. Grinnell was to stay allnight with her relations. "

"Then maybe the car run off the track. "

"That's just what I've been thinking. S'posing they don't come hometonight! What will we do for supper?"

"Hope will get some when she comes home from Edwards'. "

"This is the day she stays so late. She won't get home until Mr. Edwardsbrings her, at almost bedtime. "

"Can't we help ourselves?"

"'Course, if we wanted to, but that won't be supper for Gail and Faithwhen they get home all tired out. "

"Well, then, can't we _cook_ a supper?"

"What?"

"Why--potatoes and--"

"Eggs, I s'pose you'll say. I'm tired of eggs. If we don't stop havingthem so often, we will all turn into Humpty-Dumpties. S'posing we wereeggs and had to walk and act _so_ careful or else get smashed. 'Twouldn't take long to finish me, would it? I don't want eggs forsupper. Let's have rice. "

"Is there any?"

"A whole sackful. "

"Do you know how to cook it?"

"Why, in water, of course, just like mush or oatmeal, only it takeslonger to get soft. "

"Then maybe we better put it on to boil now. How much shall we cook?"

"I don't know as I ever saw Gail measure it She just guesses at it; butI think we could each eat a big cupful, don't you?"

"I'm hungry enough to eat two cupsful, " said Allee. 

"P'r'aps 'twould be better to cook two for each of us. It's good cold, s'posing we shouldn't eat it all tonight. "

"Maybe that would be best, " conceded Cherry; and the three embryo cooksrepaired to the kitchen to get supper ready. 

"There is the rice and here is a cup. Hold the pan, Cherry, while I measure it out. One--two--three--four--five--six--seven--eight--nine--that makes a bighole in that bagful, doesn't it? Maybe nine will be enough. Do you thinkso?"

"Yes, " hesitated Cherry; "and besides, Hope won't be here for supper. "

"That's right! Then nine will be enough. Now we'll pour in thewater, --lots, 'cause it boils away in cooking. "

"If Gail doesn't get here soon, how will we get any milk for our rice?"asked Allee, watching them. "Bossy hasn't been milked yet. "

Peace paused on her way to the stove with the heavy saucepan. "Whydidn't we think of that before? Rice isn't good without plenty of milkand sugar. I don't like molasses on it. "

"Nor I, " shivered Cherry. 

"Let's milk the cow ourselves, " suggested the daring spirit. 

"We don't know how, " protested the cautious one. 

"Oh, that's easy! I've watched Gail lots of times, and all she does ispull hard like the janitor pulls the rope that rings the church bell. We've both of us rung that bell, Cherry. I'll do it if you are afraid. "

"I'm not afraid, " Cherry declared, "but I don't think I know how. I'llwatch you and see how you do it first. "

"Come on, then!"

Away to the barn they hurried, and the process of milking began, withPeace astride the stool. But somehow Bossy resented being pulled like abell-rope and the milk didn't come. 

"I don't see what is the matter, " cried Peace impatiently, after a fewmoments' struggle. "Bossy never acts so with Gail. She has kicked metwice already, and here we are clear out of her stall. Allee, you holdher tail, she has slapped me in the face with it till I'm tired. Whoa, Boss, stand still! Maybe I don't jerk hard enough. "

Peace settled herself once more on the stool, righted the pail and gavea tremendous pull at two of the teats. There was a surprised moo fromBossy, her heels flew into the air, Peace was thrown backward from herseat, the pail whirled across the floor, and Bossy rushed out of thebarn door, dragging little, tenacious Allee after her. Cherry screamed, Peace scrambled to her feet and raced madly after the terrified beast, shouting at the top of her lungs, "Let go, Allee! Whoa, Bossy!"

Allee let go, but Bossy did not whoa until, with a wild plunge, shelurched against the stone watering trough, groaned and lay down with oneleg doubled under her. 

"Oh, she's broken her leg!" yelled Cherry, dancing up and down infright. "What shall we do, what shall we do?"

"Go into the house and see that the rice doesn't burn while I'm gone, "commanded Peace, after a hasty look at poor Bossy's leg, to make sure itwas really broken; and away she flew up the street toward the village, muttering to herself, "Maybe he has closed his shop, though it isn'tquite time, but I hope not. No, he hasn't, for there comes the doctorout of the door. Oh, Mr. Jones, what will you give for a cow, abroken-legged cow? I didn't stick her, 'cause I wasn't sure just how todo it, but her leg is just freshly broken, so she is good for meat. Youbought Mr. Hartman's heifer when she broke her neck. Bossy's an awfulnice cow, and we hate to lose her, but of course we'll have to kill hernow. Bring your butcher knife and run! I don't want her to feel bad anylonger'n she has to. "

"Hold your horses, Whirlwind, hold your horses a bit, " cried the amazedbutcher. "Now tell me what has happened. "

"You grab that knife and come along!" she shouted, almost frantic withgrief and fear. "That cow can't be left with a broken leg. " And seizinghim by the hand she dragged him toward the door. The sight of thechild's great distress touched the big man, and pausing only long enoughto close his shop, he followed her flying feet down the road to thelittle brown house where poor Bossy lay. 

"There she is! Ain't her leg broken?"

"Yes, and a bad break, too. She will have to go, kidlet. It's a shame, for she's a mighty fine looking critter. I'll give you fifteen dollarsfor her. Where is your oldest sister?"

"In Martindale. Oh, don't wait for her to come back! I can't bear tohave Bossy look at me like that! I broke her leg trying to milk her. She's worth a lot more'n fifteen dollars alive, but as meat I s'posewe'll have to let her go cheap. You can have her. Gail would say so too, if she was here. Give me the money and then stick her as soon as I getinside the house. "

The butcher hesitated, then counted out fifteen dollars in bills andhanded them to the trembling, grief-stricken Peace, saying, "Youcouldn't get any more for her in the city, under the circumstances, Iknow. Butchers don't ordinarily buy milch cows for beef, and I shouldn'ttake her if she wasn't in first-class condition. If Gail ain'tsatisfied, send her up to the shop. "

Peace snatched the bills with shaking hands and disappeared up the path, calling back over her shoulder, "Stick her easy, Mr. Jones, and quick!I'm going upstairs and cry. "

But she didn't carry out her intention, for as she flung open thekitchen door, the pungent odor of something burning greeted hernostrils, and there stood Cherry beside the red-hot stove, dipping ricefrom one big saucepan into other kettles which Allee was bringing out ofthe pantry for her. 

"Oh, Peace, " she cried in relief, "I don't know what we will ever dowith all this rice! It's sticking faster than I can scratch it up, it'sboiled over the stove three times, and I've filled up four pans already. Give me another, Allee!"

"It needs some more water, " said Peace, catching up a dipper of coldwater and pouring it into one sizzling pot. "Mercy, how it has grownsince we put it on to cook! That kettleful won't burn now. "

"But it has turned yellow and smells dreadfully smoky, " answered Cherry, sniffing at the discolored, unappetizing mess in the pan. 

Peace examined it critically, tasted it, made a wry face, and finallyannounced, "It's spoiled, I guess. Never mind, there is plenty of goodrice left--"

"Oh, Peace!" yelled Allee excitedly, dancing in the chair, where shestood trying to stir the heavy contents of another pan. "Something elseis burning, sure! See the black smoke!"

There was a knock at the door, but Peace was frantically tugging at thebig kettle stuck fast to the stove cover, and without pausing in hertask, she called crossly, "You will have to wait till we can get thisrice 'tended to before we can see what you want, whoever you are. We areall busy in here. "

There was an audible chuckle from without, the knob turned, Cherryscreamed, and a gray-haired, shabby, old man stood smiling at them fromthe steps. Peace scarcely looked at him as she succeeded in freeing thepanful of smoking, blackened rice from the cover, but that quick glancehad told her the visitor was a tramp, and she snapped sharply, "I s'poseyou want a bite to eat. Well, I don't see how you are going to get ithere! I've just killed the cow, and the rice has burned up. Cherry, stopstirring that mess and take it off! Can't you see it's smoking like a_chimbly_?"

The tramp strode across the room, grabbed the teakettle and poured theboiling water into the pan, over which Allee had mounted guard, andwhich fortunately was on the back of the stove so it had not yet arrivedat the burning point. He caught up one other, dumped about half itscontents into a clean saucepan on the hearth, saturated it with water, threw in some salt, and set it back on the stove, at the same timeremoving a third kettle of burning rice and carrying it out of doors. 

"There!" he said, entering the kitchen again. "All the rice isn'tspoiled. Now we will open the windows and let out this smoke, and we areall right. How did you come to cook so much?"

"We were hungry, and thought we could eat a lot--"

"But rice swells--"

"We have found that out for ourselves, " said Peace, blushing furiouslyat his quizzical grin. "It's the first time we ever cooked it alone. "

"Where are the sisters?"

"Gail and Faith are in the city, and Hope hasn't come home from Edwards'house yet. "

"And you are hungry? Well, now, that is too bad. I'll tell you what Iwill do. You show me where you keep things and I will get supper, if youwill permit me to share it with you. Tramps have to work here, youknow--"

"Oh, Mr. Tramp! You are my tramp that broke the raw egg all over yourpotato, aren't you?" cried Peace with undisguised joy. "And you neverstole that cake, did you?"

"What cake, child?"

"The one Faith was baking the morning you ate breakfast here 'bout ayear ago. "

"I never stole a cake in my life, --or anything else. "

"There, I knew it! I told them so at the time. Was it--have you lost anymoney around here?"

"Money?" he echoed, his face the picture of innocence, as he deftly setthe table and beat up an omelette. "I should say not! Why?"

"'Cause we found some on the gatepost the night you were here, and Ithought maybe you had lost it. No, I didn't think so, either. Gailthought you might have lost it. " Into his ears she poured the wholestory of the long, hard year. 

"And so you thought, --or Gail thought I had lost the money you found onthe gatepost! Well, don't you think it would be a funny tramp who wouldhave all that money with him!"

Peace's face fell, and she slowly admitted, "Yes, I s'pose it would, butI thought maybe you might be a story-book prince. Those things _always_happen in books. But Gail won't use the money, 'cause she says someonemight come along and claim it some day. When mamma was a little girlthere was a queer old man lived in her town that people called crazy. Heused to give pretty things to the children and then months later he'd goaround and c'llect them and give them to someone else. Maybe that's thekind of a man who leaves the money on the gatepost. It has happenedtwice there, and once in the barn. Gail says we can't tell, and 'twouldbe terrible embracing"--she meant embarrassing--"if he should try toc'llect after we had spent the money. "

"That's a fact, " agreed the tramp, "but I think she could spend themoney without any such fears, because I think the fairies brought it. "

"Do you b'lieve in fairies?" cried Peace in shocked surprise. 

"Oh, yes, and I always shall. I don't think the fairies fly around likebutterflies, the way they are pictured in books. I believe they live inthe hearts of men. "

"Then how could they bring money and pin it to the gatepost and grainsacks? They use sure-enough, every-day pins. "

"Oh, maybe they whisper to some good friend that a little extra moneywould make things easier at the brown house, or the green one, or thegray one, and this friend, who has lots of money to spare--"

"That's just the way I thought it all out, " interrupted Peace eagerly. "But Mr. Strong hasn't lots of spare money. He is a minister, and theynever have enough for themselves. Besides, he crossed his heart that hedidn't know who put it there. The Dunbars aren't rich. Miss Truesdalecan't afford it. Even Mrs. Grinnell couldn't do it. Judge Abbott haslots of money, but folks have to work for what they get out of him, andold Skinflint is so stingy that he _borrows_ the city papers so's hewon't have to buy them himself. Hec Abbott told me so. I can't think ofa single soul who would give us the money. "

"Maybe this is a friend whom you don't know. "

"That's it, I guess. But I'd _like_ awfully well to know them, and'specially whether we can really use the money for ourselves. Now thatBossy is gone, I don't know what we are going to do for milk. Mr. Jonespaid fifteen dollars for her, but that won't buy a whole new one. "

"I think I know where you can get a fine cow for fifteen dollars. If youwill give me the money I will call around by the place and have the manbring it to you the first thing in the morning. It is quite a piece fromhere, and maybe he wouldn't sell it to _you_ for that price, but I knowhe would to _me_. "

Peace sat lost in thought, a bit of bread poised half way to her mouth. 

"Is it a good cow?" asked Allee, timidly. 

"The very best. "

"Gentle, like Bossy?" Cherry questioned. 

"Gentle as a lamb. "

"Does she give four gallons of milk a day?" Peace interrupted. 

"More, sometimes. "

"Is she pretty?"

"Handsome as a picture. "

"Does she give good milk, with lots of cream? We make our own butter, you know. "

"She's a splendid butter cow. "

"Has she got brown eyes, like mine, and a curly tail, and two goodhorns--not too sharp? Will she eat sugar out of your hand and not drivefolks out of the stall when they try to pet her?"

"She is the finest cow I ever saw--"

"Then it's funny the man will sell her for; fifteen dollars, " declaredPeace, with sudden suspicion, studying the old man opposite her, butseeing only a sandy, untrimmed beard, a strong, honest face, with squarejaws, and a pair of the kindest eyes she had ever looked into. 

"Not at all, " said the man, chuckling to himself at the trap she hadlaid for him. "He wants to get rid of his herd, but doesn't need themoney; though, of course, he wouldn't care to give the cows away. "

"Well, " hesitated the brown-eyed girl, "I guess--I will have you orderthe cow for us. Gail won't feel so bad about losing Bossy if we can getanother just as good. Here is the money. Do you have to go so soon? Iwould like to have you stay until the girls get here. Now, don't youforget about the cow!"

"She will be here early tomorrow morning. Good-night, and many thanksfor the supper. " Out into the spring night walked the tramp, with theprecious fifteen dollars in his pocket, and again the three childrentook up their vigil at the window, watching for the sisters from town. 

When at last Gail and Faith reached home, expecting to be met by tearsand reproaches from three hungry maids, they were surprised to findsupper spread on the table awaiting their coming, and to hear a strangetale of mishap and adventure that would have done credit to the age ofMother Goose or Robinson Crusoe. 

"Doesn't that sound like a fairy prince?" asked Peace, when the recitalwas ended. "But he says he isn't one. "

"I should say it sounded like a plain robber story, " said Faithbitterly, while Gail sat white-faced and silent with despair. "What didyou give him that money for! It's the last we will ever see of it. Youare worse than _Jack and the Bean-Stalk_. You haven't even a handful ofbean blossoms to show. "

"I've got a curl from Bossy's tail, " said Peace indignantly, and thenburst into tears, unable to bear the sight of Gail's drawn face anylonger. 

"Yes, and a robber on our trail. Supposing he comes tonight for the restof the money you told him about. No, Cherry, I don't want any supper. Come and help me bolt the windows and fix things for the night. I wishHope was here now. "

The supper remained untouched, the dishes were cleared away in silence, and as soon as Hope arrived the unhappy little household climbedwearily, fearfully upstairs to bed, where Peace sobbed herself to sleep, with faithful Allee's arms about her neck. But no robber came to disturbthe brown house and at length even Gail and Faith drifted away toslumberland, in spite of this added trouble. 

In the dusk of early morning, while the world was still asleep, a heavywagon drew up at the gate of the Greenfield cottage, unloaded itsprecious burden and drove rapidly away again; while Peace, in herrestless tossing, dreamed that a gentle, brown-eyed cow stood in Bossy'sstall, lowing for some breakfast. She awoke with a start, to hear afamiliar, persistent mooing, and the tinkle of a bell in the barnyard, and, leaping out of bed, she rushed to the window with wildly beatingheart. There in the yard, tied to the old watering-trough, stood aplump, pretty Jersey cow! Peace rubbed her eyes, pinched her arm tomake sure she was not still dreaming, and then startled the whole houseawake with a whoop of joy: "She has come, she has come! The cow hascome! My tramp isn't a robber or a beanstalk at all!"

CHAPTER XI

GARDENS AND GOPHERS

"Have you got any more corn or potatoes to drop, or onion sets to cover, or radishes and beans and turnips to plant, or wheat or barley toscatter, or--or anything else to do?" Peace panted breathlessly one warmSaturday afternoon late in May. 

"No, " smiled Gail, looking tenderly down into the flushed, perspiringface. "You girls have worked faithfully all day, and now you can restawhile. Mike is coming next week to finish the planting. "

"Can--may we fix our own gardens, then? Mr. Kennedy gave me a whole lotof seed the gove'nment sent him to plant, but he can't, 'cause he'sgoing to Alaska. "

"Government seed! What kinds?"

"Cucumbers and beets, and parsley and carrots and--"

"But, child, we have all of those in our big garden now. I thought youwanted your little plot of ground for flowers?"

"I do. One of these packages is sweet peas. "

"Oh, dearie, I guess you have made a mistake. Mr. Kennedy wouldn't haveany use for sweet pea seed. "

"Hope said that was the name on the package. "

"Well, then I suppose they are, though I never heard tell of theKennedys raising flowers before. Sweet peas ought to be planted along afence. We will have Mike dig a little trench just inside the front yardfence, and plant the peas there. "

Peace's face fell, but she offered no objections to the plan, and Gailstraightway forgot all about it. Not so with the enthusiastic, youthfulplanter, however; and, while the older sister was bustling about the hotkitchen, the curly, brown head was bobbing energetically back and forthin the front yard, where she and Cherry were digging a trench as fast asthey could turn the sod with an old broken spade and a discardedfire-shovel; while Allee followed in their wake, dropping the seed intothe freshly-turned earth and carefully covering them again. 

"Mercy, but this yard is big!" sighed weary Peace, as she began diggingalong the third and last side. "Have you got enough left to stick inhere, Allee?"

"This is all, " answered the blue-eyed toiler, displaying a handful offlat, black seed in her apron. 

"Those don't look like peas, " cried Cherry, pausing to examine thequeer-looking things. "All I ever saw were round. "

"Garden peas _are_ round, " answered Peace, with a knowing air, "butthese are sweet peas, and they are flat. "

"Did you ever see any before?" demanded Cherry suspiciously, nettled byher sister's manner. 

"No--o, but doesn't the sack they were in say 'sweet peas?'"

It certainly did, there was no disputing that fact, so Cherry discreetlyremained silent, and began her vigorous shoveling once more. 

When the supper hour was announced the shallow, uneven trench wascompleted, the seeds all covered, and three dirty gardeners perched in arow on the fence, planning out the list of customers who would buy thesweet blossoms when the vines had matured. 

"There's the horn for supper, " said Cherry. 

"And I know Mrs. Lacy will be glad to get them sometimes, 'cause shehasn't any flowers at all, " continued Peace, ignoring the interruption. "That makes ten people. "

"Well, hurry up! I am hungry, and we'll have to wash before Gail willgive us anything to eat, " cried the tallest girl impatiently. "I'll raceyou to the pump. "

"You are late, " Hope greeted them, when, after a noisy splashing andhasty wiping of faces, they entered the room. "Doesn't Allee's face lookfunny with that black streak around it where she didn't hit the dirt?What have you been doing to get so warm?"

"Planting sweet peas, " answered Allee. 

"Oh, Peace! After I said we would have Mike dig a trench by the fence!"

"You didn't say we _couldn't_ plant them, Gail. We dug it so's to saveMike the trouble. Anyway, the seeds ought to be in the ground by thistime if they are ever going to blossom this year, and Mike is so slow. We thought it was best not to wait. When do you s'pose they will comeup?"

"Oh, in about two or three weeks, maybe, " Gail answered. "You better rubyour arms well with liniment before you go to bed tonight, or you willbe so lame tomorrow you can't move. "

The incident was closed, and the sweet peas forgotten until one dayabout three weeks later Hope called excitedly from the front yard, "Gail, Gail, come here! What ever are these plants coming up all alongthe fence? They are not sweet peas. "

Gail came, examined the fat sprouts and looked at Hope in comicaldismay. "They are pumpkins or cucumbers or melons, and the whole frontfence is lined with them!"

"Poor Peace!" said Hope, when their laugh had ended. "She will beheartbroken. She made her fortune a dozen times over on the blossomsthose vines are to bear. "

"Yes, " sighed Gail. "She has the happy faculty of trying to do one thingand getting some unexpected, unheard-of result. Poor little blunderbus!But what shall we do with these plants? There are enough to stock aranch. We can't leave them here, and I don't think they will beartransplanting. "

"And so they ain't sweet peas at all!" exclaimed a disappointed voicebehind them, and there stood Peace herself, contemplating her treasureswith solemn eyes. 

"No, dear, they are pumpkins, I guess. What kind of seed did you plant?"

"I planted sweet pea seed, " came the mournful reply. "Leastways the sacksaid so. Hope read it herself. "

"Yes, the sack was labelled plainly, but I never thought to examine theseed. What did they look like?"

"They were black and flat. "

"Melons, " said Gail. "Well, I would rather have melons than pumpkins, for we already have planted a lot of them. Still, it will spoil these totransplant them, so they might just as well have been pumpkins. It is ashame to have to throw them all away, though. "

Peace said nothing, but in bitterness of heart helped pull up all thegreen sprouts and throw them over the fence. Then she sat down besidethe heap to mourn over her fallen aircastles. 

"Seems 's if I can't do anything like other folks, " she sighed dismally. "I plant sweet peas and get melons. I wonder if melons wouldn't sellbetter than peas. Gail says these won't grow, but I am going to try themanyway. "

She filled her apron with the hapless plants and carried them away toher small garden plot behind the shed, where she patiently set out everyone, regardless of the flower seeds already hid beneath the soil. And, strange to say, they grew, --at least many of them did, choking out thepoppies and marigolds and balsams which finally climbed through thethree inches of ground the zealous gardener had hid them under, andformed a thick tangle of promising vines. 

Then the gophers began their destructive work, tunnelling the littlefarm into a perfect labyrinth of underground passages, much to thedismay of the little household, so dependent upon the success of theircrops. Traps were set, the holes were flooded, cats by the score werelet loose in the fields, but still the little pests continued to dig, asif laughing at the futile attempts made to get rid of them. At lengthGail sighed, "I am afraid we will have to resort to poisoned grain. Ihate to, because I am so afraid the children will get into it, orsomething dreadful happen on account of it. "

"I don't see how either the youngsters or even the hens could get at itif it was put down the holes, " said Faith. "Say nothing about it but fixup a mess and Hope and I will drop it some day when the children areaway and the hens in their yard. "

So Gail mixed up a huge bucket full of poisoned grain, and while theyounger trio were gathering flowers in the woods one afternoon, theother sisters sallied forth with their deadly bait, bent onexterminating their small foes. 

All might have gone well had not the smaller girls suddenly decided toplay hare and hound, and it fell to Peace's lot to be the hare. With anapron full of gay dandelion blossoms for the trail, the active littlebody set out on a wide detour of the woods, across the bridge, upthrough the Hartman pasture land, reaching the barbed wire fence ontheir own little farm just in time to see Hope dropping a last handfulof grain into a gopher hole before returning to the house with her emptypail. 

"Now what has she been doing?" thought Peace, peering out from a thicketof hazel bushes. "Oh, I know! I bet she is trying to poison the gophers, like Mr. Hartman did. I wonder if they will come up after the corn rightaway. I am going to watch. I'd like to see how it kills them. "

She carefully wriggled her way under the lower wire, and sat down infront of the nearest gopher mound, forgetting all about her dandelions, sisters, and play, in the prospect of witnessing the death of one of theenemy. But either Mr. Gopher was not at home, or else he suspected thepresence of an unwelcome caller, for he did not come up in sight foreven a nibble of the tempting corn; and at last, weary of her fruitlessvigil, Peace cried aloud, "He prob'ly can get all he wants withoutletting me see him. I'm going to dig it all out on top, so he will_have_ to come out in sight. "

She quickly scratched the poisoned bait out of the runway, scattered itliberally about, and settled back in her former position, with her eyesglued on the mouth of the tunnel; but still Mr. Gopher did not come. 

"You tiresome old thing!" she exclaimed impatiently, after what seemedhours of waiting. "I shan't watch for you another minute. I'll findanother hole and see if they will do any better there. " So from mound tomound she scurried, digging the grain up into view, and then watchingfor the appearance of the tenant--with no result. 

"Well, of all provoking people!" cried an indignant voice behind her, and there were Cherry and Allee crawling under the fence. "How long haveyou been sitting there like a bump on a log? You didn't drop enoughdandelions, and we had an awful time following you. What on earth areyou doing here? Let's go up to the pump for a drink. I am nearly burnedup. " Without giving the weary Peace a chance to answer her questions, she raced away through the pasture toward the house, dragging Allee withher; and the third girl, after one last, hopeless glance at the gopherhole, followed more slowly. 

Some time later Hope came tearing across the field, with hair flying, and her eyes filled with alarm, calling shrilly, "Gail, Faith, the henshave broken out of the yard and are eating the poisoned grain! There aremore than a dozen down there now!"

"Oh, dear, " cried Peace, with guilty conscience, "I scratched the cornout of the holes so's I could watch the gophers die. And I let the hensout, too, 'cause they looked so hot shut up in that mite of a yard afterthey have been running loose for so long. "

With despairing eyes, Gail looked down at the dying fowls, and notdaring to trust herself to speak, she hurried away to the house to sobout her grief alone. 

Faith paused long enough to count the hapless hens, clutched thewretched culprit and shook her vigorously, then silently followed herolder sister, leaving the heartbroken child alone with the victims ofher curiosity. 

"Did you ever see my equal?" she said aloud, addressing herself. "Youare the worst child that ever lived! You wash the labels off the spiceboxes so Faith gets ginger instead of mustard in her salad dressing; youtry to milk cows and break their legs instead; you spoil cakes and stealeggs and bother Gail and Faith till they are nearly crazy; and nowyou've taken to killing hens just to see how gophers die. PeaceGreenfield, aren't you ashamed of yourself? Yes, I am, but there's nouse in wasting those perfectly good hens--twenty of them--we had onlyforty in all. It's a wonder the rest of them didn't get a dose, too. Hope has got them locked up at last. There comes Cherry; I'll make herhelp. Oh, Cherry, here's a job for you!"

"What is it? And why are the girls crying? They wouldn't tell me. "

"I've killed a lot of hens for them, playing hare and hound. That's thevery last time I will ever be hare, Charity Greenfield! Help me undressthese chickens. We'll have some for supper, and the rest we'll peddle tothe town folks. "

"Oh, Peace, I can't pull feathers! It makes me shiver every time a bunchcomes out in my hands. "

"You will have to. You don't expect me to pick them all, do you? I guessthe girls never thought of selling the hens, and I can't ask them tohelp now. We will get the ax and chop off their heads and then hang themin the crab-apple tree while we strip them. You really must help, Cherry. Gail says they pick better while they are warm. "

She hunted up the ax, and one by one hacked off poor biddies' heads; butwhen it came to the picking process, they found it was slow work forsmall, inexperienced fingers, and gave up in despair when the third nudebody lay in the grass at their feet. 

"It is almost night, Peace, and we've picked three. What shall we do?'Twill take us hours to finish that whole bunch. "

"We'll sell them for as much as we can get, and see if the butcher won'ttake the rest with the feathers on. We can keep two or three forourselves. Where is Allee's cart?"

All that remained of the poison victims were loaded into the smallwagon, and their strange pilgrimage through the village streets began. The picked fowls were readily disposed of, and one neighbor bought thelargest of the feathered birds, but no one else wanted to bother withthem, and it was only after much persuasion that the butcher consentedto take six, at the fancy price of twenty-five cents each. 

"Well, that is better than nothing, though he wouldn't sell me one forthat little last Christmas, " sighed Peace, much disappointed at theresult of their peddling. "Three dollars and fifty cents will buy quitea few chickens, and chickens make hens if you give them time. What doyou s'pose Gail will say when we give her the money?"

They were not long in finding out. The two red-eyed girls were busy inthe kitchen when the children returned with the unsold hens in thewagon; and with fear and trembling, Peace laid the coins on the table, saying humbly, "Mrs. Munson took one, and Mrs. Bainbridge, and Mrs. Edwards and Mrs. Lacy, and the butcher bought six. That's all the henswe could sell. We left three here for supper and--"

"Peace Greenfield!" shrieked the horrified sisters in unison. "Did yousell those poisoned hens? You march straight upstairs to bed--andCherry, too!" Then Gail flew one way and Faith the other, to collect thebirds before the buyers had a chance to dish up the delicacy to adoredfamilies. 

When they had seen the last fowl safely disposed of, and were home oncemore, Gail said despairingly, "I don't know what in the world to do withthat child!"

"She needs a good, sound thrashing, " answered Faith sharply. "She getsinto more mischief in a day than a monkey would in a month. "

"She doesn't mean to, " pleaded Gail. "Mother never believed in whipping. If it were mischief for mischief's sake, I could punish her, but herintentions are good--"

"Good intentions don't amount to much in her case. A good trouncingmight make her think a little more. "

"I _can't_ whip her, Faith, but I'll go up and lecture her good. Ibelieve that will be more effective than harshness. "

So the perplexed mother-sister mounted the stairs to the chamber above, from which sounded a low murmur of voices, and she paused in the hallwayto assemble her thoughts, when Peace's words, evidently in supplication, floated out through the open door: "And, O Lord, don't blame Gail forgetting mad. It's the first time I can remember. She is usu'ly verygood. S'posing she was a stepmother, like lame Jennie Munn's, wouldn'twe have a time living with her, though? And I am truly sorry about thehens. Hope says we can't get many eggs now, 'cause half of the flock isgone, and if we keep all our customers we will have to do without eggshere at home. I don't mind that at all myself, 'cause I've eaten eggsand eggs till it makes me sick to hunt them now; but what will Faith dofor her cakes? That's what is worrying me. It was so we could buy morelive hens that Cherry and me sold the dead ones. We didn't know theywould make people sick, and p'r'aps kill them, too. I am sorry the moneyhad to go back and that the hens are just wasted now, but I 'xpectthey'll make an elegant funeral tomorrow. So forgive Gail and keep herfrom getting mad any more, and forgive me and keep me from being bad anymore, and make us 'happy children in a happy home. ' Amen. "

Softly, silently, Gail stole down the stairs again, with her lectureunsaid. 

CHAPTER XII

THE RASPBERRY PATCH

One hot, dusty afternoon in midsummer Faith trudged wearily up the roadfrom the village, climbed the steps to the vine-covered piazza whereGail sat shelling peas, and dropped a handful of silver into hersister's lap, saying, "Three dollars clear from my cakes this week! WishI could make that much every time. Mrs. Dunbar was perfectly delightedwith my jelly roll, and has ordered another for next Saturday. "

"Isn't that fine!" smiled Gail. "You will have a bakery of your own someday if you keep on. I thought she would like the roll; it was the best Iever tasted. "

"I think I could find quite a few customers for them if I only had thejelly, but it costs so much to buy it, and all we have is that littlebit of apple jelly you made last summer. "

"The crab-apple trees are loaded with mites of green apples, "volunteered Cherry from the lower step, where she was makingcats-cradles with Allee. 

"Yes, but they won't be ripe for weeks yet; and, besides, a sour jellyis best for jelly rolls. "

"Do blackberries make sour jelly?" asked Peace, pausing in heroccupation of fitting paper sails to the empty pods Gail had dropped. "Cause the creek road is just lined with bushes. "

"They are better than crab-apples, but it will be days before they areripe enough for use. I had thought of them, and investigated the bushesonly yesterday. Mrs. Grinnell says raspberries are best for thepurpose. "

"Lots of people around here have raspberries, " said Peace. 

"And they want money for them, too. "

"Mr. Hardman doesn't pay any 'tention to his down in the pasture. I'vehelped myself there lots of times. "

"But his wife does. I saw her there this morning. "

Peace said no more, but, waiting until she saw their neighbor bring uphis cows to be milked, she slipped through the fence onto his land andaccosted him with the abrupt question, "How much will you take for therest of your raspberries?"

"What?"

She repeated her inquiry, and after scratching his head meditatively, heexclaimed, as if to himself, "Another money-making scheme! If she don'tbeat the Dutch!"

"This is a jelly-making scheme, " returned Peace, with comical dignity. "There is no money in it. "

"Oh! Well, don't you know that raspberries are expensive?"

"Most people's are, but you never paid any 'tention to yours, so Ithought you would be glad to get rid of them for little or nothing. "

"Oho!" he teased. "Begging again!"

"I'm not!" Peace denied hotly. "I'll pay for them if you don't chargetoo high. "

"How much will you pay?"

"I haven't any money, but I'll pick on shares. "

"Share and share alike?"

"Yes; I'll keep half for my trouble, and you will get half for notrouble. "

Her method of figuring always amused him, and now he laughed outright, "Seems to me I am entitled to them all. They are my berries, you know. "

"Well, " stormed Peace, "if that's the way you look at it, you can pick'em, too!"

"Aw, don't get mad, " he said soothingly. "I was just teasing. Of courseyou can pick all the raspberries you want. My wife said just thismorning that the bushes were loaded, and she couldn't begin to handlethem all herself. But--say--that reminds me--I've rented the pasture toold Skinner, and he's put his bull in there. You will have to watch yourchance when the old critter is out, to pick your berries. "

"All right, " cried Peace, expressing her elation by hopping about on onefoot. "It's awfully nice of you to give us the berries you don't careto pick yourself, and we will see that the bull doesn't bother. "

She was half way across the field by the time she had finished speaking, eager to tell the good news to the girls; and before the dew was dry onthe grass the next morning, three sunbonneted figures scampered down theroad to Mr. Hartman's lower pasture, armed with big pails and Allee'sred wagon, intent on picking all the berries they could for Faith'sjelly. 

"We'll have to leave Allee's cart outside the fence, " said Peace, climbing the high rails with astonishing agility and dropping nimblydown on the other side. "Do you see the Skinflint's bull anywhere?"

"No, " answered Cherry, taking a careful survey of the field from herperch on the top rail. "There isn't a thing stirring. "

"Then maybe we can pick all we want before the deacon brings him down. Hurry, and keep a sharp lookout for the old beast. My, but these bushesare stickery!"

"I should say they are, " Cherry agreed, ruefully eyeing her bleedinghands. "I don't believe it is going to be any fun picking raspberries. They are lots worse than blackberries. "

"S'posing we had been the prince who crawled through the hedge to wakeSleeping Beauty. I bet he got good and scratched up, but he kept righton and fin'ly kissed the princess awake. "

"There ain't any princess in these bushes, " grumbled Cherry, pausing tosuck a wounded thumb. 

"No, but there are _berries_, and they are more important thanprincesses. We couldn't make jelly out of a princess, but we canout--Mercy, what was that noise?"

"It's the bull! Run, run! There it comes down the hill!" shriekedCherry, standing as if rooted to the spot, and staring with horror atthe angry animal tearing across the pasture toward them. 

"Run yourself, you ninny!" screamed Peace, giving the older girl a push, and then scrambling for the fence with Allee dragging by one arm behindher. 

There was no time to climb over, and the lower rail was too close to theground for them to crawl under, but Peace did not linger to discuss thequestion. Grabbing the frightened baby by the heels, she thrust herbetween the slats, and gave her a shove that pitched her head first intoa stagnant mudhole just outside the fence. Then pausing only long enoughto see that Cherry was safely through, she followed, still clutching hernow empty pail, and landing beside Allee in the mud. 

"Whew! What a smell!" she spluttered, righting herself and trying to digher sister out of the pool. "And all on account of that miserable, cowardly bull! Why don't you take someone your own size to fight?" Sheshook her fist defiantly at the pawing, bellowing brute by the fence, and not satisfied with that method of expressing her anger, she flungthe empty bucket at his head, crying in frenzy, "Take that, you oldsinner! It b'longs to the berries you've already got. "

Her aim was truer than she had anticipated, and the pail fell with arattling clatter over the beast's ugly-looking horns, frightening him sothat for a brief moment he stood perfectly still. Then, with a snort offear and fury, he set off across the field at a mad gallop, with thebucket still tossing on his head. 

Peace glared angrily after the retreating enemy, too indignant over herloss to think of their peril until Cherry quavered, "Hadn't we betterrun while we have a chance? Suppose he should batter the fence down. "

"No danger, " Peace muttered shortly; but she picked herself up from theground, where she was trying to scrape the ill-smelling mud off hershoes, and marched majestically up the road, trundling the cart behindher. 

"Where are you going?" cried Cherry, when they reached the first crossstreet. "Here's where we turn. "

"Turn, then! I'm going on to old Skinflint's house and tell him to keepthat ugly bull out of Hartman's pasture until we get those raspberriespicked. "

"With that nasty mud all over you?"

"Mud and all, " was the stubborn answer, and from force of habit, Cherryfell into step beside her again, tramping along in silence until theSkinner place was reached. 

It just happened that the old man himself was hurrying up the path fromthe barn as they approached, and Peace stopped him with an imperiouswave of her hand, speaking straight to the point before he could evenask her what she wanted. 

"Your bull won't let us pick raspberries in the lower pasture. Mr. Hartman said we might, but just when we got our pails 'most full, thatold thing had to come along and bunt at us. We skipped, but he made uslose all our berries. We'd like to have you tie him up or take him outuntil we can get those berries picked. "

The grouchy old fellow stood with open mouth, glaring at themud-bespattered figures, as if he doubted his senses, and as Peacefinished her speech, he laughed mirthlessly, screeching in his harsh, cracked, rasping voice, "I put that bull in pasture myself, and there hestays! I don't do any tying up, either. I rented that field and it's thesame as mine for as long as I hire it. You can't have them berries atall. They are mine. "

"Mr. Hartman said we could have them, " Peace insisted; "and I guess hewouldn't give away what didn't b'long to him. He may have rented thepasture to you, but he never rented the berries. "

Suddenly the old man changed tactics. "You can have all the berries youcan get, " he taunted, shaking a warning finger in their faces, "but thatbull stays right there in that field!"

"All right, old Skinflint!" roared Peace, forgetting everything else inher furious passion, and shaking an emphatic finger back at him. "Just'member that, will you? We'll get the berries in spite of your old_animule_!"

She stamped out of the yard and down the road toward home once more, nursing her wrath and trying to think of some way whereby she might getthe disputed fruit, for she well knew that the deacon would do all hecould to prevent her now. 

Early the next morning she was at the pasture again, only to find thevicious enemy grazing close by, watching with wicked eyes every flirt ofher dress, as if defying her to gather the luscious red berries hangingso temptingly near. 

The second day it was the same, and the third. It looked as if the enemyhad conquered; but Peace was not to be easily defeated. She had set herheart on picking that fruit, and she meant to have it at any cost. 

The fourth morning, after reconnoitering and finding the bull still inundisputed possession of the field, an uncertain but daring thoughtdawned upon her busy brain, and when she returned home she casuallyasked Hope, "Didn't folks one time have bull fights in Africa?"

"In Spain, you mean, " answered the other, always ready to share hersmall store of knowledge. "Yes, they still have them, though it is verywicked. "

"How do they fight?"

"Oh, I don't know exactly, but I think a man rides around a big ring onhorseback, flying a red flag until the bull is terribly mad, and then hehas to kill it with his dagger or get killed himself. It is terriblycruel, teacher says. "

"Why does the bull get mad at the flag?"

"Because it is red, and they can't stand that color. Neither can turkeygobblers. Don't you remember you had on a red coat when Mr. Hartman'sgobbler chased you?"

"Oh, " said Peace, much enlightened. She had received the information shesought, and was content. 

"So the flag has to be red, does it?" she mused, as she stealthilyclimbed the stairs to the tiny, hot, cobwebby attic, where all thecast-off clothing was stored against a rainy day. "I thought it wassomething like that, but I didn't know for sure. There's an old reddress that b'longed to me, and here is my old flannel petticoat. I don'tb'lieve we will ever use this mess of cheesecloth again, either; it isso dreadfully streaked. But there is enough red in it yet. "

Gathering up an armful of worn-out garments, she crept down the stairwayonce more and slipped away to the lower pasture with her burden, wherefor the next half hour she might have been seen tying the scarlet stripsto the fence rails in the corner farthest from the raspberry patch. Whenthe last rag was fastened securely, she stepped back and viewed theresult of her labor, sighing in deep satisfaction, "There are twenty-onehunks in all. It ought to take him a good long time to tear them all topieces, and maybe if we work fast we can get most of the bushes strippedwhile he is banging his head down here. "

Hurrying home, she quietly summoned Cherry and Allee, and the trio setout once more on their berry-picking excursion, finding their enemy toobusy in the far end of the field to interfere with them, just as Peacehad hoped. 

"But he may come back here at any minute, " argued Cherry, loth to enterthe field. "I thought you said he was gone from the pasture. "

"I said from the _berries_. Don't stop to talk. As long as he doesn'thear us, we are all right. We will pick close to the fence, so we canget out quick. There must be _tons_ of berries right here in this clump. Mercy, what a racket he makes!"

Then how the nimble fingers flew, and how fast the deep-tinted fruitfell into the shining pails! But all the while the three pickers kepttheir eyes fastened on the grove of trees which hid the animal fromsight, and three hearts pounded fearfully at every snort of the enragedbrute. 

"Are you sure he is tied?" whispered cautious Cherry, after an unusuallyloud bellow had made her jump almost out of her shoes. 

"I didn't say he was tied. I said he wasn't apt to bother us thismorning. Keep still and pick with all your might. One of the big pailsin the wagon is full already. "

"But how do you know he will stay there if he isn't tied?" persistedCherry, glancing apprehensively toward the trees again. 

"He is too busy to think of coming over here now, " Peace assured herconfidently, and that was all the satisfaction she could get, so shelapsed into silence, and worked like a beaver until the second bigbucket was brimming over. Then the small taskmaster drew a deep breathof relief and said graciously, "Now we will go home. These ought to makequite a little jelly. We must have as much as twenty quarts. They don'ttake as long as strawberries. "

Thankfully the sisters crawled through the fence and triumphantly boretheir precious burden homeward, still hearing in the distance the angrymutterings of Deacon Skinner's bull. 

"Just see the loads of berries we picked!" chorused three happy voices, as the rattling cart came to a standstill before the kitchen door. 

"Faith can have all the jelly she wants, and you can make the leftoverseeds up in jam, can't you?"

"Children!" cried Gail, white to the lips. "Have you been in thatpasture with Mr. Skinner's ugly bull?"

"Yes, " they confessed, "but he never came near us. "

"I guess he didn't want to leave the grove, " added Peace, marchingcomplacently away to wash her berry-stained hands. 

"Don't you ever go there again, " commanded the oldest sister, stilltrembling with fright at what might have happened to the daring berrypickers, but she never thought to question them any further, and Peace'sprank remained a secret for a short time longer. 

The next day Deacon Skinner was early at the Hartman place, stalkingangrily up to the low, green house, and, striding into the kitchenwithout the formality of knocking, demanded fiercely, "What do you meanby plastering your fence all over with red rags? Your pasture fence?I'll sue you for damages! My bull has lost one horn and is all batteredto pieces, the rails are splintered, and it's a wonder he didn't getloose. Is that what you aimed at doing?"

Mr. Hartman faced his accuser unflinchingly, saying, with quietemphasis, "I don't know anything about the matter. The fence was allright yesterday morning, for I was down there myself to see, before Ileft for town. You don't know what you are saying when you threaten tosue. "

"But the fence is all tied up with red rags, " blustered the angryfellow. "How comes that? You rented me the--"

"I rented you the pasture, but I didn't rent you watch dogs and dragonsto guard it. That is your own lookout. I had nothing to do with it, andit's no affair of mine if the village boys are up to their pranks. "

Mr. Hartman's air was convincing, and the deacon's wrath toward hisneighbor cooled somewhat when he saw how groundless were hisaccusations. Nevertheless, his ire was thoroughly aroused, and hepromised all sorts of punishment to the offenders when they were caught. "If 'twas the village boys, I'll warrant the Judge's youngster was atthe head of it. I'll tan him till he can't stand when I get my hands onhim, " he muttered. 

"You better make sure of the guilty one before you thrash him, "suggested Mr. Hartman, dryly. 

"That Abbott boy and the Greenfield girl are the ringleaders in all themischief--by George, she's the one that did it! She vowed she'd getthose berries, bull or no bull. If she has touched those bushes, I'll--"

"No, you won't, " interrupted the other man, rising to his feet with anangry light in his eyes. "If that child went to you and asked aboutthose bushes, you don't lay hands on her in any way. "

"She didn't ask. She came and told me to tie up the animal so she couldpick raspberries. "

"And you refused. "

"I rented that field, and you had no business to promise her theberries. "

"If you wanted them, why didn't you say so? They were going to waste onthe vines. You merely asked permission to put your animal in there for amonth while you were repairing your corral. "

"I didn't want the berries, but--"

"That is all I care to know. You can take your property out of mypasture at once. I won't rent to such a man as you. Sue if you like, andsee what you will get in court. "

"Very well, Hartman, " fumed the fiery-tempered old fellow. "But I willsettle even with you yet. Just remember that note of Lowe's, will you?It's apt to be called to your attention pretty soon in a way you won'tlike, I reckon, and you won't get a second's more time on it, either. You will find it ain't so funny to set up against _me_ in thisneighborhood!"

The irate man stormed out of the house, still shaking his fistthreateningly, and Mr. Hartman, in a very disturbed state of mind, returned to his breakfast. 

CHAPTER XIII

PEACE GETS EVEN

"Peace, come here, I want to talk with you, " called Mr. Hartman, leaningover the fence and beckoning to the child at work in her melon patch, measuring the mottled green fruit thickly dotted through the vines. 

"It's grown two inches since I measured it last, " said the brown-eyedgardener to herself, leaving her task to see what the man wanted. "HereI am. "

"Do you know what kind of a mess you have got me into now?"

Peace looked her surprise, and answered saucily, "You don't fool me anymore, my friend. You've teased me so often that it is an old story now. I know just what to 'xpect when I meet you. "

At any other time he would have been delighted with this reply, butunder the circumstances--for he was really much disturbed over herlatest prank--her jaunty, don't-care air nettled him, and he saidsharply, "_This_ is no joking matter, Miss Greenfield, I can tell youthat! Why did you tie red rags all over my pasture fence?"

"So's to keep the deacon's bull busy. We couldn't get those berries anyother way. "

"Well, I guess you succeeded. He broke one horn off and pretty nearskinned himself, I judge. The only wonder is that he didn't tear thefence down and get loose. "

"As long as he didn't, I shouldn't care about his horns, " answered Peacewith provoking indifference. "The deacon said I could have all theberries I could get, and he didn't say how I was to get them, either. Ithought and thought, and I couldn't see any way out but the red flags. It worked beau--ti--fully. We got two buckets chock-full!"

"Yes, " groaned Mr. Hartman; "and got old Skinner red hot at me! I signeda note a year or two ago for a friend of mine, expecting by this timethat he would be on his feet and able to take care of it, but he isn't, and I've got to settle. Where the money is coming from is more than Ican tell. It took all my ready cash to build that new barn, and oldSkinner is so blamed mad that he won't give me any more time. And allthis fuss on account of those berries. Plague take the old bushes, andyou, too, you little rascal!"

Peace drew herself up haughtily and with eyes flashing fire, demanded, "Do you mean that?"

"Every word. I'd just like the chance to give you a good trouncing. "

He was not in earnest, but he looked so harsh and stern that Peace fora moment trembled in her shoes. Then all her natural childish passionwas aroused, and stamping her foot, she declared wrathfully, "I'll notbe friends with you any longer. You said I could have the berries, andthe deacon said I could have all I could get. You aren't being squarewith me, and I won't have anything more to do with you. " She turned onher heel and flung herself indignantly across the garden to the road, leaving Mr. Hartman still leaning against the fence, lost in thought. 

The forest was her favorite retreat in times of trouble, but today thecool shadows and whispering trees did not soothe her, and afterwandering about until the afternoon began to wane, she started for home, still wrathful and passionate, for she felt that Mr. Hartman had beenvery unfair in his treatment of her. 

While she was still some distance from the little brown house, acarriage drove up to their gate, and stopped, but she did not recognizethe rig, nor could she make out who had alighted; and for the timebeing, her rage was lost in her greater curiosity. "Wonder who it canbe, " she said to herself. "It isn't the doctor's horse, nor the Judge'sbuggy, and that woman is too little for Mrs. Lacy or Mrs. Edwards. She'sgot a big bundle. Maybe it's the Salvation Army bringing us some oldduds like they did the German family last week. But s'posing it was somerich aunt or grandmother we didn't know we had. It's awfully hard not tohave any relations like other folks. I am going through oldCross-Patch's cornfield, 'stead of running clear around by the road. "

She crawled between the strands of barbed wire and ran swiftly down therows of rustling, whispering, silken corn, thinking only of theunexpected visitors at home, until a big barn loomed up before her, shining in its newness. Then she stopped abruptly, having suddenlyremembered her grievance. 

"He _isn't_ square!" she cried. "I'd like to fight him good. I'll geteven with you some day, Mr. Hardman! Bet he's going to paint his oldbarn. Here is a whole ocean of red paint in this pail, and there is astack of brushes. I--I'm going--to tell--him what I think of him in redpaint. Yes, sir, I'm going to do it this very minute!"

All thought of the mysterious visitor at home had vanished, all thoughtof the consequences were stifled, and choosing the smallest brush in theheap beside the pail, she began daubing scrawly, tipsy letters acrossthe new, white boards: _Mister Hardman isnt square_. 

"There!" she breathed, as the last straggling "r" was finished. "I'llbet that makes him mad, but maybe next time he won't blame me for hisold fusses. He _said_ I could have those raspberries. "

She dipped the brush into the paint once more, made a few little redspots below the printed letters, and labelled them _raspberries_ forfear they might not otherwise be recognized. Then dropping the brushback where she had found it, she skipped off home, feeling anuncomfortable sense of guilt and shame in her heart for having wreakedher revenge in such a manner. 

At the gate Allee met her, shouting, "Mrs. Strong is here with the baby, and she's going to stay for supper. Elva Munson brought her in their newbuggy. Come see Glen. We've hunted all over for you, and even blew thehorn. "

The excited child danced up the path, and Peace followed, forgetting hermean prank in her pleasure at seeing her beloved friends. Nor did sheremember any more about it until the next morning, when, seated on theshed-roof, under the overhanging boughs of a great elm, she saw Mr. Hartman striding angrily up the path to the kitchen door. Then her heartgave a great thump and seemed to sink clear to her toes, as she thoughtof her miserable method of getting even. Her passion had subsided duringthe night, and try as she would, she could now think of no justifiableexcuse for her mean act. 

Gail answered the imperative knock, and Peace heard him demandwrathfully, "Where is Peace?"

"Somewhere around the place. She was under the maple there at thecorner a few moments ago. Is something wrong? Has she been annoying youagain?"

"Annoying me? She has daubed letters all over the back of my new barn. Ishall have to paint the whole building now, and it isn't very funnybusiness. If I had got hold of her when I first saw her work, I'd havegiven her a thrashing she wouldn't have forgotten in one while. You willwhip that child like she deserves, or pay for the damage she hasdone, --one or the other, and I mean it, too!" Without waiting for herreply, he started down the path again, leaving Gail white-faced anddistressed in the kitchen door. 

As soon as he was out of sight Peace slid from her perch to the groundbelow, deserting the corncob doll she had been dressing, and scurriedaway to the barn loft to face the new and undreamed-of situation. Alicking or pay for the damage done! Why had she been so thoughtless andmean? She might have known that Gail would be the one to suffer. Shehated herself, as she always did after her mischievous pranks, but thatdidn't help matters any. She must take her medicine. There was no moneyto settle for her wanton mischief; it would have to be the licking. 

"I wonder whether she'll use a shingle or her shoe, " she thoughtnervously, making ready to descend and brave Gail's displeasure, whenCherry's head appeared on the ladder, and the older girl announcedexcitedly, "Now you've done it, Peace Greenfield! Mr. Hartman is as madas a hornet about your painting his barn, and he says Gail must eitherwhip you hard, or pay for it. There isn't any money to pay--"

"Then I s'pose I'll have to take the licking, " answered Peace with agreat show of indifference, though the pounding of her heart nearlystifled her. 

"But Gail says she can't lick you, and even Faith has backed out, thoughat first she said she would give it to you good. "

Here was an unlooked-for state of affairs--no money, and no one willingto use the rod, though she undoubtedly deserved it. 

"What are you going to do about it?" asked Cherry curiously. 

"Lick myself likely, " retorted Peace sarcastically. "You better lugthose eggs up to the doctor's. I've d'livered my bunch. "

Cherry vanished as quickly as she had come, and as the sound of herfootsteps died away in the distance, Peace slid down the ladder. Butinstead of going to the house for an interview with Gail, she slippedthrough the garden, crawled under the fence, and presented herself atthe door of the new barn where Mr. Hartman, still in a blaze of anger, was at work. 

"What do you want here, you tormented rascal?" he yelled in fury, shaking a hazel switch threateningly at her. 

"I came to get licked, " she answered steadily, though quaking inwardly. 

"Wh-at?" he gasped in unbelieving amazement. 

"I heard what you said to Gail about paying or licking me, and shehasn't got any money to pay for my meanness, and she says--she says shecan't whip me; so I've come to you for it. "

She really did not expect him to punish her in that manner, forordinarily he was not a hard-hearted man; but in view of Peace'smisdemeanor, Gail's hesitation angered him only the more, and catchingthe child by her shoulder, he gave her a dozen sharp, stinging lasheswith his switch, then released her, thoroughly ashamed of himself. 

He expected her to cry and scream, but she bit her lips, blinked herbrown eyes rapidly to keep the tears back, and stood like a statue untilhe dropped his stick. Then choking back the sobs in her throat, shefaced him with the curt demand, "Give me a receipt, please. "

"A--a what?"

"A receipt. Gail says we should never settle a bill without getting areceipt. "

"What do you want of a receipt?"

"So's I can show Gail that this bill is settled. "

"Aha!" he mocked. "You are afraid Gail will repent and give you anotherthrashing, are you?"

"No, I'm not! But I want to be sure you don't try to c'llect twice. "

He stared at her open-mouthed, too hurt for words; and she, unaware thatshe had deeply offended him, urged impatiently, as she rubbed hersmarting shoulders, "Hurry up! Write it on a piece of paper, so's I canhave it to keep always. Haven't you got any in your pocket?"

Mechanically he searched his pockets, drew forth a scrap of an envelope, wrote the receipt she demanded, and handed it to her gravely. Sheaccepted it as gravely, spelled it through, and turned to go, sayingpiously, "Thank you, Mr. Hardman. I hope you will get your reward inheaven. " She meant this in all reverence, thinking only of the receipthe had given her, but he thought she was sarcastically referring to thewhipping she had suffered at his hands; and with a queer tightening ofhis throat, he returned to his work, while she hurried homeward with herprecious bit of paper. 

"Here is Mr. Hardman's receipt, Gail, " she announced, briefly, enteringthe kitchen where the two older girls were still discussing the newproblem. 

"Where did you get the money!" asked Faith severely. 

"I took the licking, " was the short answer. 

"Took the licking! From whom!"

"Mr. Hardman. "

"Do you mean to say that Mr. Hardman whipped you!"

"Yes, I do. I went over and told him to. "

"Did it hurt?" whispered Allee, with eyes brimming full of sympathy. 

"It might have been worse, s'posing he had used a piece of iron insteadof a stick. "

Profound silence reigned in the little room. Then Gail said abruptly, "Come upstairs with me. I want to see you alone. "

Peace glanced apprehensively at the pale face, which looked unusuallystern and severe, and said, "That is a sure-enough receipt, but if youdon't b'lieve it, you can ask Mr. Hardman about it. "

"I am not doubting your story in the least, " answered the big sister, smiling in spite of herself, "but I want to talk to you, dear. "

When Gail said "dear, " she was never angry, so, without furtherhesitation, Peace followed her to the small room under the eaves, wondering what was coming next. Gail seated herself in the rickety chairby the window, and drawing the small girl down into her lap, she asked, "Now what is all this trouble about? Tell sister everything. "

So Peace related the story of the raspberries and her anger at theirneighbor, which had led to the painting of the barn. 

"What did you write on the building?" questioned Gail when Peace pausedat this point in her recital. 

"Just the truth. I said, 'Mr. Hardman isn't square. ' Then, so's he wouldknow what he wasn't square about, I made a lot of raspberries under theprinting. "

"Peace! After Mr. Hartman has been so kind to us! What do you think of alittle girl who will do a thing like that!"

"At first I thought she was all right, " answered the candid maiden. "Butnow I've changed my mind, and I guess she was pretty bad when she didit. Though he needn't have said what he did to me. He told me we couldhave the berries. "

"At the same time he warned you about Mr. Skinner's bull. "

"Yes, and I warned Mr. Skinflint--I mean Mr. Skinner. "

"Mr. Skinner is a hot-tempered man, and I am afraid if the Hartmans owehim money, as you say, he will make it very uncomfortable for them. "

"Maybe I better go see old Skinflint--I mean Mr. Skinner--and tellhim--"

"No, indeed!" cried Gail in alarm. "You have done damage enough already. Promise me that you won't say anything to him about it, Peace. "

"I promise. I ain't anxious to see him anyway, only I thought if itwould do any good I would go and tell him how it happened. I am awfullysorry now. "

"Then don't you think you better apologize to Mr. Hartman?"

"Wasn't the licking a napology enough?"

"The whipping only settled your account. It didn't say you were sorry. And it was wrong to tell him that you hoped he would get his reward inheaven. "

"Why?" cried Peace in genuine astonishment. "That's what the lamepeddler woman always tells you when you buy a paper of needles or pins. "

"That is different. She means what she says. The words are no idlemockery to her. Every penny she can earn, helps her that much, and sheis truly grateful--"

"And I am truly grateful for my receipt, too! It isn't every man thatwould give me one. Old Skinner now--"

"Oh, Peace!"

"But, Gail, dear, I wasn't mocking him. I wanted him to know that I knewhow much that receipt was worth. S'posing he hadn't written it, howwould you have known that I had settled that fuss?"

Gail gave up in despair. She never could argue with this small sister, who so sadly needed a mother's wisdom to keep her sweet and good; so sheabruptly ended her lecture by gently insisting, "Mr. Hartman deservesyour apology. What if he had made us pay for the damage you did, or hadhad you arrested? He was good to let you off with just a licking, Peace, even if you do think it was hard punishment. If you are going to be abad girl, you must expect whippings. "

"I don't think he likes me any more. He may chase me home before I canapologize, " suggested the unhappy culprit, with hanging head. 

"I guess not, " smiled Gail behind her hand. "Try it and see. "

"Well, " sighed miserable Peace, "I s'pose I must, then. "

She reluctantly descended the stairs again, and disappeared down thepath toward the Hartman house, wishing with all her heart that theground would swallow her up before she had to meet the enemy. Suddenly away out of the dilemma presented itself. She searched hastily throughher pockets for paper and pencil, and folding both among the clutter, she wrote her apology on a ragged, dirty scrap, and carried it to thegreen house, intending to leave it on the doorstep and hurry away, butas she peered cautiously around the corner of the shed she saw Mrs. Hartman sitting on the porch, and retreated, murmuring, "Oh, dear, Is'pose I'll have to say it to him after all. I _might_ pin it to thebarn door, or--maybe 'twould be better if I fastened it beside thepainting. That's what I'll do!"

She stole away to the barn, tacked the paper to the new boards, and wasabout to depart when her eyes chanced to fall upon her sprawlingdecorations of the previous day; and she halted, horrified at theglaring scarlet letters. "Mercy! How they look! No wonder Mr. Hartmangave me such a tre--men--jous switching. The paint is still here. Iwill cover it all up. "

The big brush did the work this time, and in a brief period a wide, brilliant stripe of red hid the uneven letters from sight. But somehowMr. Hartman did not think the barn had been improved very much when hefound it, and was wrathfully; setting out in search of the artist whenthe fluttering paper caught his eye. 

"She's a great one for notes, " he muttered, jerking the scrawl down, half impatiently, half amused. "What does she say this time? Whew!"Involuntarily he whistled a long-drawn-out whistle, for this is whatPeace had written:

 "I ipolijize for painting your barn cause Gale says I otto and anyway I didn't know it was going to look so bad so Ive erased the letters with some more paint but I still feel the same way about the raspberries. Also I hope you don't get your reward in Heaven. 

 Peace Greenfield. 

 "P. S. Gale said I should come myself and say this but I thot it was safest to rite as long as youre still mad. "

CHAPTER XIV

PEACE, THE GOOD SAMARITAN

Down the sloping hillside browned with the summer sun strolled Peace oneafternoon late in August, gathering the purple foxgloves which wavedinvitingly in the breeze. It was one of those rare days of waningsummer, clear, beautiful and cool, with just a hint of autumn haze inthe air; and it cast its magic spell over the bare-headed, flower-ladenmaid, wandering dreamily through the crisp, crackling grass, with noparticular destination in view, no particular thought in mind. She hadset out an hour before with Cherry and Allee as her companions, but hadwandered away from them without being aware of it, and was now somedistance from home, still busy pulling the gorgeous stems of bloom, still unconscious of her loneness, still lost in her own realms offancy. 

This Peace was one few people knew. Allee was most familiar with thebrown-eyed dream-child, the little family at the parsonage were quitewell acquainted with her, and occasionally Gail caught a fleetingglimpse of that hidden spirit, but to the rest of the little world inwhich she lived she was a bright-eyed, gay-hearted little romp, whoseefforts to lend assistance to others were always leading her intomischief, oftentimes with unhappy results. 

So it is no wonder that busy Dr. Bainbridge was surprised when hediscovered her in this strange mood as he came puffing and panting upthe hill toward town, for she was so completely lost amid her dreamsthat she did not see him nor hear his brusque greeting until he steppeddirectly in her path and clutched her arm. Then she started as ifsuddenly awakened from a sleep, and exclaimed, "Why, Dr. Bainbridge, what do you mean by making me jump so? I nearly lost my skin! I neversaw you at all. Where did you come from--the clouds?"

"No, miss. If I had been there you would have seen me before this, forif ever anyone was walking in the clouds, it was you just this minute. Come along, I want you, dreamer. Can you do me a favor, a big one?"

"'Pends upon what it is, " answered Peace, thoroughly awake now. 

He laughed at the judicious tone of voice and the familiar cant of thecurly brown head, and answered promptly, "I want you to play GoodSamaritan for a little while, be nurse for one of my patients--"

"Nurse?" She looked at him with wide-open eyes, secretly wonderingwhether he knew what he was talking about. 

"Yes, ma'am, nurse!" he thundered. "Annette Fisher is sick, very sick, and I have told her mother time after time that she must not be leftalone, yet in spite of all my cautions, that red-headed ignoramus hastaken the rest of the caboodle and gone off to town, leaving Annette allalone in the house until the father gets home tonight. The child's feverhas been soaring sky-high for days, and I was just beginning to think Ihad it in control and could pull her through when that oldtermagant-gossip of a mother, who doesn't deserve to have chick orchild, hikes off to spend the afternoon with relatives in the city for achance to look up bargains at The Martindale. What are embroideries anddress goods compared with the life of a child? Won't she get a piece ofmy mind the next time I lay eyes on her?" So angry and indignant was theold doctor that he had wholly forgotten himself, and spoke as he wouldnever have thought of doing under different circumstances. 

Peace brought him to the earth by agreeing heartily, "Well, I would 'f Iwas you, and I'd give her a good big piece, too. I'll nurse Annette ifyou want me to. Shall I give her a bath and dose her with medicine everyfew minutes, like we did mother? Does she need to be wrapped up in wetrags or painted with _irondye_? Or do you want me to feed her _grool_and broth?"

"You don't have to do a single thing but stay with her and keep herfrom fretting until I can get someone from the village to go down there. I gave her a bath just now myself, and she has taken her medicine--all Iwant her to have for the present. She isn't to eat a thing, but she candrink all the milk she wants, and occasionally have a little water ifshe asks for it. Now remember, Peace. She is too sick to pay attentionto much of anything, but sometimes she is fretful and talks a good deal. Try to be as quiet as possible yourself, --don't say things to exciteher--don't speak at all unless she wants you to. Do you understand?"

"Yes. "

"I'll send someone down to relieve you the minute I can get anyone. Hurry along now, and don't forget what I have said. "

"All right, " was the cheery response; and Peace, with a curious thrillof awe in her heart, sped down the hill as fast as her nimble feet couldcarry her. 

The door of the Fisher house stood open, so, without knocking to makeher presence known, she stepped softly inside the hall, and crept up thestairs to the little, hot chamber, where thin-faced Annette lay burningwith fever. The invalid was awake, tossing fretfully among her pillows, but the instant she saw Peace in the doorway her eyes brightened, andshe called in a shrill, weak voice, "Is it really you, Peace, or has myhead turned 'round again?"

"It's really me. Dr. Bainbridge sent me up. "

"That's funny. He wouldn't let you or any of the other girls come when Iasked for you before. Did you bring all those flowers for me?"

"Yes, " Peace answered readily, glancing down at the huge bouquet in herarms, which she had entirely forgotten. "Where shall I put them? No, don't try to tell me; I'll find a dish myself. "

"Would you please bring me a drink, too?" Annette asked hesitatingly. 

"Sure!"

"Fresh from the well?"

"Yes. "

Peace disappeared down the creaking stairs again, returning quickly witha dripping dipper full of sparkling, ice-cold water from the well, andthe sick child drank feverishly, sighing as she relinquished the cup, "That's awful good. If only it would stay cold all the time! But thenext time I want a drink it is warm and horrid, and ma says she can't bealways chasing to the well just to get me some water. Harry won't, either. Pa ain't here but a little while night and morning, and Isabelis too little to fetch it. Set the flowers here on the chair where I cansee them good. When ma comes home she'll likely throw them out. She saysshe can't see the good of cluttering up the house with dishes of weedslike that. "

"Your mother is an old _turnacrank_, --Doctor says so, " muttered Peaceindignantly, as she tugged at the heavy jar of foxgloves she hadarranged with artistic care. 

"What did you say?" asked Annette, querulously. 

Peace suddenly remembered the doctor's instructions. "I say I know howto keep water cold. Gail used to do it for mother on hot days. I'll weta rag and wrap the dipper in that and set it in the window where thewind will blow on it. "

"Will that make it keep cool?"

"Yes, as long as the rag is wet. There is quite a little wind today, too, and that helps. "

"Is it cool out-doors?"

"Yes. "

"Oh, dear! I wish I could go out under the trees. It is so hot in herecooped up like I am. "

Peace bit her tongue. How easy it was to forget the doctor's directions!Twice already she had said things which excited the poor, sick prisoner, whom she had been told to keep quiet. A happy inspiration leaped intoher thought, and moving the jar of delicate blossoms closer to the bed, she slipped a spray into Annette's hand, saying, "S'pose we _minagine_these flowers are trees. They would make a lovely forest, wouldn't they?I often wish the trees had pretty flowers. "

"Apple trees have, " said Annette thoughtfully. 

"That's so!" was the surprised ejaculation. "I forgot all about thefruit trees. All of them have flowers, but I like the apple-blossomsbest, don't you?"

"Yes, they are so cool looking and so sweet and smelly. "

"That's what I like about them most. When I go to the moon I wear adress made of apple-blossoms and--"

"When you go to the moon?" repeated Annette, looking bewildered andwondering if the queer thoughts which the doctor called delirium werecoming back to haunt her again. 

"Oh, of course, I really don't go, but I like to s'pose what it would belike if I could go there. After Allee and me go to bed at night, sometimes the moon comes and shines in at our window and we talk to it. I don't care about the man-in-the-moon very much, though Allee likeshim. She says he must be so lonely up there by himself all the time thatshe doesn't see how he can keep on smiling so. But I love the lady inthe moon. "

"The lady in the moon?"

"Well, we call her the moon lady. We like to think she is a beautiful, beau-ti-ful lady, with long, pale yellow hair that pretty nearly dragswhen she walks. It would drag if she didn't wear such big tails on herskirts. That's the kind of hair I wish I had instead of kinky, woollycurls. Hers isn't a bit curly, but just falls back from her face likeJennie Munn's after she has had it braided for a long time. And ittrails out behind her like a--a cloud. Her dress is white stuff, andshe never has it starched; it's just soft and shiny and swishy, andseems to b'long just to her. Oh, she is the prettiest lady, Annette!"

"What color are her eyes?" asked the invalid, much interested in thepicture Peace was drawing. 

"Blue, just like Hope's, only you don't think of them being blue whenyou look at the moon lady--they 'mind you of stars. I think they arestars, and she wears a star in her hair. "

"Does she have a house to live in?"

"Not a house, but a palace, made of soft-looking, sparkly stones thatflash like diamond dust, and inside it is white and still, --the kind ofa still that makes you feel dreamy and nice. And there are fountainseverywhere, with cool water splashing out of the top of them. They aremade of white marble--the fountains are, I mean--and so are the_pillows_ of the palace on the outside, where the moon lady walks in hergarden. "

"Is there a garden in the moon?"

"In my moon there is, and--"

"Ma says the moon is made of green cheese, and is full of maggots. "

"I heard that story, too, and I look for them first thing every time Igo there, but I haven't found any yet. Big, white Easter lilies growalong the paths, and lilies-of-the-valley blossom the whole year round, and water lilies make the lake almost white sometimes. "

"Oh, a lake, too! How nice!"

"The moon lady's lake is the prettiest I ever saw. The water is alwayssilv'ry, just like our lakes look when the moon shines down on them. Youknow, Annette, don't you?"

"Yes, the moon was shining one time when I went to Lake Marion with pato hear the band, and we rowed around in a little boat and listened tothe music. "

"That's just what the moon lady does when we go to see her, only herboats are green-pea pods, and the sails are apple-blossom petals. Wedon't have to row; the boats just float of themselves, and we pick waterlilies or listen to the music--"

"What kind of music?"

"Oh, sometimes the moon lady sings by-low songs, and sometimes it's justthe frogs singing in the bottom of the lake. "

"Oh, do you like frogs' croaking?"

"If I have been good I like it awfully well, but if I've made Gail oranyone sorry, I don't want to listen to the frogs, for they keep saying, 'Don't do it again, don't do it again, ' till it makes me mis'rable. Thefrogs in the moon never say such things, though, and I like to listen tothem. Sometimes we call across the water to hear the echoes answer; andsometimes we let the moonbeams light on our hands and hair and dresses, and talk to them. "

"Talk to the moonbeams? How funny!"

"Why, our moonbeams are lovely little fairies, with wings likedragon-flies, and shiny, silv'ry gowns; and whenever they get tired offlying about they settle down and glow like fireflies. They b'long tothe moon lady and are nice fairies. They make sugar stars and moon-icefor us to eat. "

Peace clapped her hand abruptly over her mouth. Suppose Annette shouldask for something to eat! But the sick child merely held the spray offoxgloves nearer her face and inquired, "What is that? Ice-cream?"

"No; it's shaped like icicles and has kind of a sourish taste, eitherlemon or strawberry, and it doesn't melt until you get tired of it. Thenit's all gone. And it's the same way with moonbeamade. Allee made upthat name from lemonade. It is just a heap of foam that tastes like thenorth-west wind and is cool and nice. "

"S'posing things is a queer game, ain't it?" murmured Annette, drowsily. 

"It's lots of fun, and sometimes when we go to sleep we dream aboutthem, --the places we visit in the moon and the--"

"The water and lilies and fountains and cool things?"

"Yes, or the mountains, where the fairies and goblins live, or theforests, which belong to the brownies and elves, or the valleys, wherethe sunbeams play, or the caves, where the wind-voices hide, or--I dob'lieve she's asleep. Yes, sir! Both eyes are tight shut, and she hasdropped the foxglove she was holding so hard. "

Softly Peace dropped back into her former position upon the floor, hardly daring to breathe for fear of waking the little slumberer, forhad not the doctor said she was a very sick child, and that she must bekept as quiet as possible?

At thought of the doctor she began to wonder why he had not sent thewoman from the village as he had promised to do. Already the sun wassinking low in the west, and no one had come to watch over the invalid. Perhaps he had forgotten, perhaps someone was dreadfully sick and he hadbeen called away before he could find a nurse for Annette. Perhaps--thebrown head nodded gently, the long, dark lashes fluttered slowly overthe somber brown eyes, and Peace, too, was fast asleep, curled upagainst the narrow bed, where the sick child lay in a dreamless, refreshing slumber. The sunset faded from the sky, twilight deepenedinto dusk, and the stars came out in their pale glory, but both the GoodSamaritan and her patient were unconscious of it all. 

In the little brown house among the maple trees great anxiety brooded. Peace had not come home with her sisters from their flower-gatheringexpedition, and no one in town had seen her. The whole neighborhood wasaroused, and a search party was just being organized when the doctor'scarriage drove up to the gate, and the physician, angry, dismayed andalarmed, hurried up the path as fast as his avoirdupois would permit, flung open the screen and called imperiously, "Miss Gail, girls, any ofyou! It's all my fault! Peace is down at the Fisher house watching overAnnette. I sent her there this afternoon while I went after a woman tostay with the child, and have just this minute heard that Grandma Colesprained her ankle on the way there and had to crawl back home again. Mrs. Fisher, the big idiot, is moseying up the road now, well satisfiedwith her bargains. I passed her and her tribe a piece back and stoppedlong enough to tell her what I thought of her. Now pile in and I'll takeyou back with me for that little sister of yours. "

He had caught up a little shawl from the hat-rack as he talked, andthrowing this over Gail's shoulders, he bundled her out of the house andinto his buggy before she had recovered from her astonishment at hisoutburst; and after a moment of furious riding behind the lively bayhorse, she found herself stumbling up the dark stairs in the unlightedFisher house, at the heels of the panting, puffing, wrathy doctor. Fromsomewhere he produced a lamp, and soon the dim rays of light dispelledthe gloom of the place, and she stood beside him, looking down into thepale face of Annette asleep among her pillows, and the rosy one ofsmiling Peace, huddled in an uncomfortable bunch on the floor. 

"What a picture!" murmured the doctor huskily, leaning over to touch thedamp forehead and feel the pulse of his little patient. "This is thefirst natural sleep she has had for days. Bully for Peace! I confess Iwas worried about leaving her here in the first place. I was afraid shewould fret Annette into a worse fever than she already had. I'd havegone crazy if I'd had any notion that the child must stay here all theafternoon, with only Peace to look after her. Excuse me if I seem moreconcerned about Annette's welfare than over Peace's long absence andyour fright, Gail. I've had a big battle to pull her through, and I waswild when I found that fool mother had gone off and left her alone. Didn't expect to be gone long, and here it is _hours_! There, I won'tstorm any more, but we'll wake Peace up and take her home. "

He shook the child gently by the shoulder, and as the sleepy eyesfluttered open they saw only Gail bending over her. "It's all right, Gail, " the child said softly, still remembering her charge. "Dr. Bainbridge asked me to be a good _sanatarium_ over Annette while that_negrogrampus_ of a mother was hunting bargains of embroid'ries and hewas hunting a sure-enough nurse. Oh, there is the doctor himself! IsAnnette all right? She talked a lot at first, but I told her about mymoon lady, and pretty soon she went fast asleep. "

"Annette is doing splendidly, Dr. Peace, and I am tickled to death atthe good work you've done. Run along with Gail now. I'll be down in aminute to drive you home. "

CHAPTER XV

PEACE COLLECTS DAMAGES

The hot summer was drawing to a close. Two weeks more and Septemberwould be ushered in, bringing with it the State Fair, always an event inthe lives of the busy farmers of the State, and particularly of thosearound Martindale and Pendennis, as the fairgrounds were located midwaybetween the two big cities. 

Peace had never attended a State Fair in all her short life, but she hadheard it talked about so much by the residents of Parker that she waswildly excited when Faith decided to enter a cake in the cookingexhibit, and immediately she determined to visit the Fair in person andsee her sister's handiwork fitly rewarded. However, when she made knownthis decision to the rest of the family Gail said quietly, "I am afraidyou can't, dear. It costs fifty cents to enter the grounds, and even ifthey admit children at half price, that would mean twenty-five cents foreach of you three youngest, and Hope would have to pay the full amount, as she is now in her 'teens. We can't afford to go this year. "

This was an item that Peace had not considered. Of course, if she went, the rest of the family were entitled to the same pleasure, and thatwould mean three half dollars and three quarters. She found her slateand laboriously added up the column of figures. "Two dollars andtwenty-five cents! Mercy, that is a lot to spend just to go to the Fairfor one day, isn't it? Oh, dear, why is it we always have to stop andthink about the money? I wish dollars grew on trees, and all we had todo when we wanted any would be to go out and pick them. What fun we'dhave! I do want to go to the Fair so much, though. If only there wassome way to earn the money!"

She wandered down to the melon patch, the pride of her childish heart, and sat down on one of the green balls to meditate on the subject. 

"I never saw the beat how your melons do grow, " exclaimed a voice behindher, as Mrs. Grinnell, on her way to the brown house, paused to admirethe tempting fruit. "If there was just some way of getting them into thecity, you might make a pretty penny off them. Now, mine don't begin tobe as big as yours, and there aren't half so many on the vines. That's awhopper you are sitting on. You ought to take it to the Fair--"

"Why, Mrs. Grinnell, do folks take _melons_ to the Fair?"

"Yes, indeed, every year. Why, I've seen lots there that weren't as bigas yours. Of course it's the biggest that win the ribbons, and you mightnot stand a show, but there would be no harm trying. I am intending toenter my two mammoth pumpkins and that Hubbard squash, along with mycorn. "

"Do you s'pose Gail would let me?"

"Yes, I think so. I'll take it in with mine if you like. I am to lugFaith's cake. "

"Oh, then I'll do it! These two whollipers. That one is almost as big asthe one I play is my armchair. The rest are too little to have a chance, aren't they? Maybe they will be big enough by Fair time, though. Theyhave two weeks more to grow in. "

"No telling what they will do in that time, " laughed Mrs. Grinnell, moving briskly away up the path, leaving Peace still perched on top ofthe largest melon busily making her fortune from her small garden patch. 

"If only we hadn't sold Black Prince, " she mourned, "we could just cartthese melons into Martindale and make a whole lot on them. There, whydidn't I think of that before? Mike peddles garden truck in the city, 'most every day. I'll just have him tote these along. I've got--let mesee--twelve, sixteen, seventeen, twenty-one good ones, besides my bigfellows. I wonder if that will be enough. I'm going right over and seeMike now. He is at home today; I saw him. "

She skipped away through the garden to the O'Hara place, some distancebelow them, and finding the red-haired boy grinding an ax in thedooryard, she startled him by her breathless demand, "How much dowatermelons sell for in the city?"

"Shure an' it depinds on the size. "

"Mine are great big ones. Mrs. Grinnell says they ought to bring apretty penny in Martindale. "

"Well, thin, I think maybe they'd be bringing a quarter. "

"Each one?"

"Shure!"

"And how much would that make if twenty-one were sold?"

"Five dollars and a quarter, " promptly answered Mike, who was quick atfigures and proud of the accomplishment. 

"That would be enough, " cried Peace in great glee. "All I need is twodollars and a quarter. Come on over to my house and pick them rightaway. "

"What?" yelled Mike, wondering if the child had gone crazy. 

"Oh, I forgot! I haven't told you yet, have I? You can sell my melons inthe city for me if you like and save me the trouble. "

The boy stared at her, transfixed by her complacent self-assurance. 

"Has the cat got your tongue?" Peace asked, when he did not speak. 

"No, but you have your nerve, " he stuttered. "What d'ye take me for, --adray horse?"

"You've got a mule team, haven't you?" flared Peace, seeing no occasionfor his anger. "And you peddle truck nearly every day. Then I don't seewhy you can't take my melons and sell them. Black Prince is gone, and wecan't drive about any more ourselves. "

"Well, where do I come in? Melons take up a sight of wagon room, nothingsaid of the time it will take to sell them. And then you expict me to doit all for nothing!"

"I--I hadn't thought about that, " faltered Peace; and, sitting down onthe windmill platform, she pulled a pencil stub from her pocket andbegan to do some figuring on the sole of her shoe. 

Mike watched her serious face in amusement, and grinned broadly when, after five minutes of vigorous scratching and hard thinking, shereleased her foot and said in her most business-like tones, "I'll tellyou what I will do. If you can sell all those twenty-one melons attwenty-five cents each, you can have half the money for your trouble. That will still leave me enough to get our family inside the Fair. Willyou do it?"

Mike scratched his head thoughtfully and then replied, "I'll take a lookat thim melons first. "

So she led him to the small patch and proudly displayed her treasures. "You see there are more than twenty-one melons on the vines. Those twobig ones Mrs. Grinnell is going to tote along with her pumpkins to theFair, and the little ones and the crooked fellers we'll eat at home; butthere are twenty-one nice ones to sell. "

Mike expressed his admiration by the boyish exclamation, "Gee, ain'tthem bouncers? How 'd ye do it? Our'n don't amount to shucks this year. "

"That's what Mrs. Grinnell said about hers. I guess it's 'cause I knowhow to grow watermelons, " answered Peace, with charming frankness. "Mr. Strong says that must be the reason. You see, I planted sweet-peas andthese came up. Maybe it's a sweet-pea melon. Do you s'pose it is?"

"I niver heard tell of such a thing, " Mike soberly replied, "but maybethat's what's the matter. "

"Will you sell them for me?"

Mike was busy thumping the green balls with his knuckles, and feeling ofthe stems, and when he had tested each in turn, he answered, "Yis, I'llsell thim for you, but ye'd better wait a week or two. They aren't ripeenough yit. "

"Oh, dear, " mourned the child, plainly disappointed. "The Fair begins intwo weeks, and that is what I wanted the money for. Don't you think theywill be ripe enough before that?"

"Don't look as if they would, " Mike replied firmly. "And green melonswon't sell well. Besides, the longer they grow, the bigger they willbe. "

"Then I suppose I must wait; but don't you tell the girls. I want tos'prise them if we can go, for they don't think we can. "

So, with many promises of secrecy, Mike departed, and Peace from thatmoment became a devoted slave of the melon patch. 

As soon as she was out of bed in the morning she flew down to the gardento exult over her treasures, and with the last gleam of the dying dayshe might be seen bending over the mottled fruit whispering encouragingmessages to them, coaxing them to grow. Bucket after bucket of water shetugged from the well to pour on their thirsty roots, and load after loadof fertilizer she dragged in Allee's little cart to spread over theground in her eager desire to increase their size. But when Gail foundher with soap and scrub-brush polishing off each precious ball, she wasforced to curb her zealous gardening. However, the vines throve throughall this heroic treatment, and it seemed to Peace that she could almostsee the fruit grow in circumference. Each night she consulted Mike, convinced that they had ripened sufficiently during the day to bepicked, but the boy steadfastly shook his head. 

At length, as the second week of anxious waiting was drawing to a close, Peace could endure the suspense no longer, and one warm afternoon, whileher sisters were occupied with their various duties, she snatched thesharp bread-knife from the pantry shelf, and with Allee in tow, stoledown to her garden plot. 

"What are you going to do?" whispered the blue-eyed tot, as if stillfearful that she might be overheard at the house. 

"Try one of my melons and see if it isn't ripe. This feller will do, Iguess. It is big, but not too big. " She plunged the shining blade deepinto the green rind, and as the two halves fell apart, disclosing thebright red heart thickly dotted with black and white seeds, she criedtriumphantly, "There, I knew I was right! Just taste it, Allee. Ain't itsweet and nice? Let's lug it down to the hedge and eat it up. "

"That's a piggy, " answered the smaller girl, smacking her lips over thedelicious morsel. 

"We can 'ford to be pigs this once, I guess, " Peace retorted. "If wetake it up to the house they will want to know why we cut it, and we'llhave to tell them about Mike and the Fair. You don't want them to knowthat, do you?"

"No, but we are too little to eat it all ourselves. "

"Half a melon each ain't much. Why, Len Abbott must have eaten two wholeones at the church sociable the other night. Can you carry your half?"

"Yes, " panted the younger lass, bravely tugging at her heavy load. 

So, with much puffing, and many stops for breath, they dragged thefruit through the cornfield to the creek road, scrambled in behind thedense brush and blackberry vines, and began to dispose of the sweet, juicy center. 

"Let's eat one-half all up 'fore we begin the other, " proposed Allee, who seemed to have some doubts as to the capacity of her stomach. 

"All right, " Peace agreed. "The melon _does_ look pretty big, and maybewe can't hold it all at one sitting. I'll push the other half under thebushes and cover my handkerchief over it to keep off the flies. What alot of seed this one has! Let's save some for planting next year. S'posing each of these seeds was a ticket to the State Fairgrounds, wecould all of us go every day and invite everyone else in town, prettynear. Hush! There's a team coming up the road. Let's peek and see ifit's anyone we know. "

She drew aside the branches as she spoke, and two inquisitive, fruit-stained faces peered out of the opening just as a two-seatedcarryall drew up by the roadside, and a woman's voice said imperatively, "There is a cluster, Henry, --lovely berries. I thought they were allgone by this time. "

Henry leaped over the wheel to the ground, gathered a handful ofdust-covered blackberries, and passed them up to the other threeoccupants of the rig, remarking, "It's a shame we can't find watermelonsgrowing wild along the roadside. I am afraid if we have a melon socialat the church tomorrow night we must patronize the groceryman for thefruit. "

"I am sorry to have caused you this wild-goose chase, " said a meek voicefrom the back seat. "But last year we drove through this town whenwatermelon vines were the only things in sight. "

"That is everything in sight today, " laughed Henry teasingly. "Thetrouble is, they don't bear any decent fruit. I'd give five dollars ifanyone would show me twenty good, fair-sized watermelons--"

"All right, sir!" exclaimed an eager voice at his feet. "Give me thefive dollars, and I'll show you twenty-two!"

The man jumped as if shot, the three ladies screamed, and even thehorses started at the unexpected sound, or perhaps it was at sight of atousled brown head wriggling excitedly through the thicket, followed byan equally tousled golden head. 

"Well, who are you?" stammered the startled young man, as the childrengained their feet and stood shyly eyeing the city folks. 

"Two of the Greenfield kids, " answered Peace. "We were just trying oneof my melons when we heard what you said. We've got some fine ones inour garden, and I'll sell them cheap. They b'long to me. I plantedsweet-pea seeds and they came up. "

The man roared, the young ladies giggled, and then one of them saidsweetly, "Have you some of your melon left so we can see what it islike?"

"Yes, " responded Peace, diving into the brush and dragging forth theuntouched half, covered with her dirty handkerchief. "Here it is. Youcan eat it. Allee and me are 'most full now. Oh, it's black with ants!Never mind, just brush them off; they won't change the taste any. "

But though the ladies admired the ripe red fruit, they seemed to have noappetite for it, and Henry was the only one of the party who sampled it. 

"It's lickum good, " he announced, after the first mouthful. "Better havesome, girls. No? Well, I shall lug this piece back with us forrefreshments. Say, Curly-locks, are all your melons as big as that?"

"Bigger--that is, most of them are. Mrs. Grinnell is going to take twoin to the Fair, but there are twenty-one big ones besides. I meantwenty. This is the twenty-oneth. "

They laughed again, and Henry proposed, "Let's go over and see themanyway. If we can't find the melons, we can have a good time today atleast. "

"Just as you say, " chorused the girls; and bundling the soiled, stickychildren into the carriage with them, they drove on to the little brownhouse. 

As the team drew up in front of the gate the group of workers on theporch started to their feet in surprise, but Peace called, "Go on withyour sewing! This is my company! They are going to look at my twentywatermelons to see if they are any good; and then I am going to chargethem five dollars for them. "

The laughing young people came up the walk to meet the embarrassedmistress of the house, and the situation was briefly explained. "OurLeague is planning for a lawn social tomorrow night, " said one younglady. 

"Ice-cream and cake, " added the second. 

"With watermelons for a side-dish, " the young man put in. 

"And we thought we could get better melons if we came out here in thecountry to buy them, " said the fourth member of the party. 

"The melon patch belongs to Peace, " Gail told them. "We think she hassome pretty good fruit. Come this way and see for yourself. "

"Oh, what big ones!" cried the visiting quartette. "Surely you won'tsell all these for five dollars?"

"No, only twenty, " answered Peace gravely. "You can't have the twobiggest ones, and of course you don't want the crooked fellers. Mikesays they will sell for twenty-five cents each in Martindale. "

So the twenty splendid melons were cut and loaded into the wagon, Peacewas paid a spandy new five-dollar bill, and the visitors departedmerrily. The child watched them out of sight, still holding fast to hermoney, and then turned to Gail, sighing contentedly, "Now we can go tothe Fair! I've had an awful job getting rid of those things, but theyare gone at last, and here is the money. I 'xpect Mike will be mad ashops, but he didn't know beans when he said they weren't ripe. I'veraised melons enough so I know. "

"But, dearie, " interrupted the oldest sister, "you mustn't spend yourmoney so recklessly for our pleasure. It will take almost half of thatfive dollars just to pay our way into the grounds, and another dollarfor carfare. "

"Then it's lucky Mike didn't sell the melons for me, " said Peace, "or I'xpect we'd have had to walk. I sold those watermelons just so's we allcould go to the Fair, Gail, and now you mustn't say no. "

"Then I won't, " suddenly whispered the tired mother-sister, seeing thelonging in the somber brown eyes, and realizing the child's unselfishlove. "When is Mrs. Grinnell to take your big melons away?"

"Tomorrow, " she said. "The Fair begins Monday, you know. "

"Then you better go say good-bye to them now, " teased Faith. "It isnearly supper time, and you will hardly have a chance in the morning. "

But Peace shook her head, declaring seriously, "There will be timeenough. And if the melons don't win a prize, we'll bring them back home, Mrs. Grinnell says. "

When the morning dawned, however, and Peace ran eagerly down to visither garden, she stopped in dismay at the sight which greeted her eyes. On the ground, strewn all over the patch, were broken, batteredmelon-rinds; and the two mammoth balls were gone. 

"Oh, my darlings! my precious melons!" she cried in grief. "Someone haseaten them all up!" Throwing herself flat amid the wreck, she sobbed asif her heart would break, so overwhelmed by her loss that it neveroccurred to her to report the disaster to the rest of the family. It wastoo cruel!

When the hot tears had relieved the little heart somewhat, she sat upand looked about her once more, saying, with quivering lips, "I don'ts'pose they would have won a prize anyway, but it was hatefully mean ofwhoever took them. I'll bet Mike O'Hara did it to get even with me forselling the others to the city folks and keeping all the money myself!I'm going straight over and tell him what a nice kind of a gentleman heis. "

She bounced to her feet, started swiftly across the patch, caught hertoe in a tough vine and fell sprawling on the ground again, rapping herhead smartly on a small, unripe melon at the edge of the field. "Mercy!you're a hard-shelled old sinner!" she exclaimed, rubbing her bruisedforehead and glaring at the offending fruit. "Well, no wonder! I hit aknife, as sure as you're alive! It ain't Mike's either. It's--HectorAbbott's! Why didn't I think of him before? Of course he is the_culvert_; but I'll bet he will wish he hadn't seen those melons when Iget through with him. "

Burning with indignation, she sped away to the village, never pausinguntil the Judge's house was reached. As she approached the place shecould see the family gathered around the breakfast table, set on thewide, screened porch; and forgetting to knock, she threw open the doorand rushed in as if on the wings of the wind. Straight to Hector's chairshe stalked, and before the surprised family could recover their breath, she clutched the unhappy youth by the hair and jerked him out of hisseat, crying accusingly, "Hec Abbott, you disgraceful son of a judge!You stole my melons, my State Fair melons! You can't say you didn't, 'cause I've found your knife in the garden! I s'pose it walked there, didn't it? Well, maybe it did, but _you_ walked it! You can just settlefor damages this very minute!"

By this time the Judge had found his tongue, and loosening the angryfingers from his youngest son's luxuriant topknot, he demanded of Peace, "What do you mean by such actions? Where are your manners? Why didn'tyou knock? Who brought you up?"

"Why didn't _Hec_ knock when he came for my melons last night? Where are_his_ manners? What did _he_ mean by such actions? _You brung him up!_"

Len Abbott choked over his coffee, Cecile hid her face in her napkin, and even the anxious mother smiled, but the Judge looked more ruffledthan abashed, and he fairly thundered, "How do you know the knife isHector's?"

"Don't you s'pose I have seen it enough to know whose it is? Didn't Igrab it from him the day he pretended to cut off Lola Hunt's ears? I cuthis hand, too, but he deserved it! He's the meanest boy at school nextto Jimmy Jones. Teacher took the knife away one time when he wasskinning a frog, and I saw it then. Anyway, it's got his name onit, --not just his 'nitials, but his whole name. And there it is!"

She held out the article for the Judge's inspection, and that worthygentleman, seeing the look of guilt in his small son's face, pocketedit, saying whimsically to the wrathful accuser, "That is merelycircumstantial evidence. He might yet be innocent of the charge. "

"He might, " Peace retorted grimly; "but he ain't! Ask him!"

The Judge turned gravely to the crimson-cheeked lad and asked severely, "Son, are you guilty or not guilty?"

"Guilty, " muttered the miserable culprit. 

"Didn't I tell you?" triumphed the girl. 

"What would you recommend as his sentence?" asked the Judge. 

"Sentence?" repeated Peace, with the uncomfortable feeling that she wasbeing laughed at. 

"Punishment, I mean. "

"A good, sound thrashing that ain't all show and no hurt, " was the harshverdict. 

"Very well! I will administer it now. Len, hand me that strap. Hector, come here!"

Leonard passed the strap to his father, the younger son shuffled acrossthe porch to receive his sentence, and Peace stood breathlessly by, watching with frightened eyes. The Judge raised the strip of leather andbrought it down with a resounding thwack across the boy's legs. Hesquirmed, let out a wild yell, and began to blubber. The strap rose andfell the second time, there was a second yell, and Peace, with blazingeyes and blanched face, flew in between man and boy, snatched theupraised strap and flung it clear across the room, screaming in fierceindignation, "Don't you touch him again! You're a pretty kind of ajudge! Aren't you ashamed of yourself?"

"You sentenced him yourself, " stammered the surprised man. 

"Well, I'll let him off this time, " she replied slowly, "but he willhave to pay for those melons. "

"How much?"

"A dollar each. "

"Whew! They are pretty expensive fruit, aren't they?"

"I've put more'n a dollar's worth of trouble into getting them ready forthe Fair, and now he's et up my blue ribbon. "

"Your blue ribbon?"

"Yes, maybe those melons would have won a blue ribbon. Now I'll neverknow. "

"Well, well, that's too bad, " sympathized the amused Judge. "Hector willhave to pay for them, surely. Son, go get the money out of your bank. "

"I didn't eat all of them. Jimmy Jones and Ted Fenton and the Beldonboys helped, " said Hector, wiping his eyes sullenly. 

"You can c'lect from them later, " retorted Peace. "You were at the headof it, I know. "

"Get the money, son, " repeated the father sternly, and the unhappy boythought it wise to obey without further demur. 

When the two silver dollars were laid in her hand Peace smiled herrelief, and with a curt "Thank you, " turned to go, when to the utteramazement of the whole family, she whirled suddenly about and confrontedHector again, saying calmly, "While I am here, I might as well c'lectfor that cake you stole more'n a year ago. "

"Cake?" echoed the group, while the boy's face grew scarlet with guiltonce more. 

"Yes, cake! We thought my tramp took it at first. Faith made it for theminister's reception and put it on the wash-bench under a dishpan tocool. 'Twas gone when she went to get it again. Hec stole it. "

"Hector, did you?"

The boy nodded, too miserable to speak. 

"How much was that worth, Peace?"

"It was bigger'n a fifty-cent one. I guess it will be seventy-fivecents. "

"Get your bank and settle your account, Hector. "

And once more the boy was forced to obey. 

"There!" breathed Peace, closing her fingers over the added coins. "Iguess we are square now. I just happened to think of the cake. Isn't itlucky I did? I wasn't quite sure he took it, but seeing that my trampdidn't do it, I knew it must be someone in town, and I couldn't think ofanyone else mean enough. Good-bye!"

She ran lightly down the steps and away toward home, chanting toherself, "He had to pay up, he had to pay up!" Suddenly she halted bythe roadside and listened. "Yes, sir! That's Hec a-howling! I guess theJudge got hold of that strap again. Well, he deserves a good licking, but I'm glad I'm not there to see him dance. "

CHAPTER XVI

THE STATE FAIR CAKE

"What are you doing with all that torn-up paper, Peace?" asked Allee, finding her sister busy stripping old papers into tiny shreds up in thebarn loft, after she had searched all over the place for her. 

"I want to make a map like Hope's class had to, " answered Peace, pouringan apronful of scraps into a bucket of scalding water. "I asked her howshe did it, and she said they drew the maps first, and then mixed up alot of blotters in boiling water. I hunted all over the place forblotters, and couldn't find but four, so I'm trying these newspapers. They make an awful looking mess, but I guess they will work. You cantear paper if you want to. "

Allee took the hint, and accepting the magazine Peace offered her, shefell to pulling it to pieces, adding her mite to the mixture in thepail. "How many must you have?" she ventured to ask, after an hour atthis monotonous occupation. 

"I guess this will be enough, " answered the older girl, criticallyexamining the nasty mess, and stirring it so energetically that a goodlyportion of it flew out of the bucket into her lap. 

"Have you drawn a map?" Allee inquired, looking around the dingy loft inquest of such an article. 

"No--o, I can't seem to get a good one. The first time I tried, itlooked like an elephant with two trunks, and the second time theMississippi River came out of the middle of Florida. In this lastpicture, the land is so fat there isn't any room for the ocean. But Ifound two old g'ographies in that heap of trash, and Gail said I couldhave them. So I've pulled out all the maps of the United States that Icould find, and now I'm ready to cut them out. Then we'll paste themonto that board and stick the paper _mush_ on top. "

"Why do you want so many all alike?" asked the inquisitive littlesister, watching the shining scissors snip in and out around capes andpeninsulas with painstaking care. "I should think you would make ac'lection of different maps like Hope has in her book. "

Peace paused to consider the suggestion, and then answered, "Well, that's something I hadn't thought about. It would be better to have themall different, wouldn't it? I'll just hunt up some others that aren'talike. _This_ United States one is too small, then; but maybe we can useit for something else. I'll finish cutting it out anyway, though we'llwant the biggest we can get for our paper _mush_. "

She finished snipping it out as carefully as she could in view of themany ragged coasts of our country, and laid it aside, while she choseanother larger one to be honored with the "_paper mush_" covering. Ittook a long time to complete all the maps selected--Europe, Asia, Africa, the Americas, and Australia--but at last they were finished; andAllee, the patient, joined in the sigh of satisfaction which escapedPeace's lips as she dropped the scissors from her cramped, tired hands. 

"Now we'll stick on the _mush_. Hold this map, Allee, so's it won'twiggle. " She daubed on a great handful of the dirty gray pulp and triedto smooth it over the colored map surface, but evidently the paper hadnot soaked long enough, for it still held its own shape, and refusedutterly to form the paste Peace had watched Hope handle with such easeand success. 

"It doesn't stay very well, does it?" remarked Allee. 

"No, it doesn't!" snapped Peace in exasperation. "I shall not botherwith it any more. I'm tired of fooling with it when it acts like that. I'll throw it out and play with my corncob doll this morning. "

"Are you going to throw away all these nice maps that you have cut out, too?" asked Allee, as the angry girl flung down the wet newspaper scrapsand started for the house. 

Peace paused, surveyed the gorgeously colored heap which she had spentso long a time in preparing, and answered, "Well, I'll keep them awhile, for maybe some day we may want them again. " Gathering them up, shedescended the ladder and marched off toward the kitchen, thoroughly outof patience with the whole world and with herself in particular. 

Through the open windows and door came savory smells of somethingcooking, and she quickened her steps, sniffing the air and saying, "Faith has been baking; maybe there are some dishes to lick. I wonder ifshe made any frosting. Mrs. Lacy always wants caramel, and I just lovethat. "

"Faith's cross like you are, " warned Allee, following in her sister'ssteps, nevertheless. 

"Cakes always make her cross, " answered Peace, ignoring her share of thecompliment. "Gail says it makes her nervous thinking p'r'aps the ovenwill be too hot or too cool, or the dough not just right, or something. But Faith hardly ever gets so cross that she won't let us clean out thepans. "

They entered the room in search of the cooking dishes it was so oftentheir privilege to scrape, but the warm kitchen was in spick and spanorder, with nothing of the kind in sight; and Allee suggested hopefully, "Maybe they are in the pantry. "

"And maybe Faith is, too, " whispered Peace, cautiously opening the doorand peeping within. "No, she ain't, but she has made four big cakes. My! Don't they look fine? One choc'late loaf, two caramel layers, andone white square one. Looks like a graveyard with them all set even in arow, doesn't it? There ought to be three frosting pans to lick. "

"I don't see a single any, " remarked Allee, poking into every nook andcranny in hope of finding their treat. "I guess she licked them allherself. "

"That's too mean of her, " cried Peace, joining in the hunt with nobetter success. "She could have saved those dishes for us as well asnot. What have you found?"

Allee at that moment had unearthed two mysterious little packages, andin trying to investigate one of them, she dropped it, and the bag'scontents were scattered all over the floor. 

"Candies!" gasped Peace. "Sh! Don't cry! I'll help you pick them up. They must be for Minnie Eastman's birthday cake. I s'pose that is thewhite frosted one. The candies aren't hurt a mite, Allee. Stopsnivelling. Let's see what is in that other sack. Sugar, green sugar!Looks poison, doesn't it? But it tastes all right. Oh, see what I'vedone! My little United States map fell right on top of the white cake. "

"It fits, too, " gulped tearful Allee. "Looks as if it b'longed there. "

"It's going to b'long!" cried Peace with sudden decision. "I shall tracearound it with this pointed knife and then fix it up like Hope does her_paper mush_ maps. See, the frosting is soft enough to work easy. "

"You better not, " Allen protested. "Faith might not like it. "

"Faith's tickled to death when she can find some new way of dec'ratingher cakes, and as this is Minnie's birthday cake she'll be awfullypleased, 'cause she got the highest mark in geography of anyone in theirroom, Hope says. "

As she talked, she wielded the sharp knife with surprisingly goodresults in tracing the ragged outlines of the map in the soft icing, andeven critical Allee was charmed when the paper was lifted, disclosingthe knife marks. "You have to put all those blue lines in, too, don'tyou?" she asked. "How can you do that?"

Peace pondered. "Those are rivers and these brown smudges are mountains. I asked Hope once. They all ought to go in, but I'm afraid I can't drawstraight enough. Oh, I know what I'll do. Mrs. Strong uses pin-prickedpatterns for stamping Glen's dresses. I'll try that. " Carefully, laboriously, she pricked in the rivers, mountains and state boundaries, mistaking the latter for railroads; and then drew back to survey herwork. 

"The pin marks don't show much, do they?" ventured Allee. 

"No, but I shan't leave them there anyway--not alone. We'll cover therailroads with these colored candies, and the rivers we'll make ofgreen sugar. They are blue on the map, but green and blue ain't muchdifferent, anyway. We'll jam down the ocean and cover that with green, too. These curly choc'late candies will make good mountains, and byheaping up the frosting we dug out of the ocean we'll have islands andlighthouses. Now, ain't that elegant?"

"Oh, my precious State Fair cake!" cried a dismayed voice behind them, and before either guilty decorator could face the angry sister, theywere seized firmly by the shoulders, jerked through the doorway, vigorously shaken, each dealt a smart blow across their ears, and leftdazed and tearful in the middle of the kitchen, while the avenger rushedsobbing upstairs. 

Neither culprit had recovered her breath when Gail was upon them, notthe gentle sister they were accustomed to seeing, but a stern, indignant, justice-dealing judge. 

"Peace Greenfield, " she said severely, "what have you done? Ruined thecake Faith has taken such pains with for the Fair!"

"I--I thought it was Minnie's birthday cake. I--I just dec'rated it. "

"Just decorated it! What for? What business had you to touch it? Thatwas pure mischief and nothing else. She intended making a spray of rosesand green leaves on that cake and now you've spoiled it. Go sit down inyour little chairs and stay there until noon. For fear you will forgetabout staying there, I shall tie you in. "

"Oh, Gail, as if we were little kids!"

"That is what you are when you meddle with things that don't belong toyou. I have talked until I am tired. You don't pay a bit of attention, so I must punish you some other way. Next time I shall send you to bed. Perhaps I better do that today. "

"Oh, Gail, " sobbed miserable Peace, "I didn't mean to be bad, truly! Ithought Faith would like some new way to dec'rate her cakes. I--pleasedon't send us to bed! I'm awful sorry! Allee isn't to blame! She triedto make me leave it alone, didn't you, Babe?"

"Yes, " hiccoughed the equally penitent, but loyal young sinner, "andthen I helped dig up the rivers and pile on the mountains!"

Gail's face relaxed a little; a great tenderness for these little orphansisters swept through her heart, and she felt herself relenting. ThenFaith's tragic despair rose before her inner vision again, and shehardened her heart, drew out some stout cord from the cupboard drawer, and tied the humiliated duet into their rickety, worn-out old rockers, leaving them to their unhappy thoughts while she went back to her workupstairs. 

For a long time, it seemed to them, they sat jogging back and forth inthe warm kitchen, mournfully dabbing their eyes and sniffing tearfully. Then Peace sat up, drew a deep, quivering breath, and said decisively, "I'm going to take that cake over to Mrs. Grinnell's--"

"Gail said we had to stay here until noon, " quavered Allee. 

"She said we had to sit in these _chairs_ till then, " Peace corrected. 

"Well, that's the same thing. How can you go over to Mrs. Grinnell's andstay in your chair?"

"Easy enough. I'll take it along. Gail didn't tie our hands. "

Allee gasped. "But you can't carry the cake, too!"

"I'll put the cake in the big egg basket and you'll take hold on onehandle and I the other. That will leave us each a free hand to hold ontoour chairs with. "

"Oh!"

"Will you do it?"

"Course. "

With some difficulty they rose to their feet, made their way into thepantry once more and found the market basket; but it was another task toget the heavy cake into it, and they were almost in despair, whenPeace's fertile mind found a solution to the problem. 

"It's 'cause my chair keeps slipping that I can't do it, " she said, after several vain attempts to lift the cake. "I have only one hand topick this heavy thing up with. Stick this piece of string through theback of my chair, Allee, and I'll tie it to the arms in front. There, that makes straps and holds the chair better. It cuts into yourshoulders, though, doesn't it? Never mind, it won't be so bad when weget started and can hold onto the chairs. Are you ready? Don't make anynoise, for Gail mustn't hear us. "

Slowly, cautiously, they tiptoed across the kitchen floor, letthemselves out, and with wildly beating hearts hurried, as fast as thebumping chairs tied to their backs would permit, toward the tiny redcottage where Mrs. Grinnell lived all alone. Owing to their burdens, they made slow progress, and both conspirators expected any moment tohear Gail in pursuit. But it chanced that the busy housekeeper was toomuch occupied in the front chambers to discover their absence, and theyreached the red house all out of breath, but without a mishap. 

"For the land sakes!" cried the plump, motherly woman, upsetting a panof apples in her surprise. "What are you young ones playing now?"

"This isn't exactly a play, " Peace answered. "We've spoiled Faith'sState Fair cake and now she ain't going to send it. I thought maybe youcould tell us some way to fix it up. " She set down the basket, liftedthe paper covering and disclosed the queer, geographical decorations tothe woman's astonished gaze. 

"Well, now, if that ain't the cutest!" exclaimed the worthy lady ingenuine admiration. "Who'd ever have thought of putting the UnitedStates on a cake top but you, Peace Greenfield!"

"I never _thought_ of it, " answered the child honestly. "The map fellthere, it fitted and I scratched it in. Now it is spoiled for the Fairand Faith is bawling her eyes out. "

Mrs. Grinnell looked keenly at the two sober, tear-stained faces beforeher, guessed the rest of the story, and rubbed her chin thoughtfully. Then she laughed in childish delight. "Why, I've got the finest scheme, you ducklings! We will just do a little juggling, and I think Faith willstand a better chance for the blue ribbon than she would with this whitecake. "

"What do you mean?" faltered puzzled Peace. 

"Just this: I ordered a caramel layer of Faith for a little supper someof my people in the city are intending to give a niece of mine and herbeau. They are to be married next week. She is a school teacher, andthis cake will tickle her immensely. I'll just trot this in for thesupper, and we'll take the caramel layer to the Fair. According to mynotion of thinking, Faith's caramel cakes beat her others all hollow. "

"But--but--the caramel cakes haven't any red candy roses and greenleaves on them, " stammered Peace. 

"They don't need them, " said Mrs. Grinnell, scornfully. "Goodness knowsthey are pretty enough plain, and as for taste--they are the finest Iever ate, and I used to be a pretty good cake-maker myself when thechildren were at home and my husband living. Now, not a word to Faithabout this. Don't even tell Gail unless you have to. You better scamperfor home now before you are missed. "

So they shambled back to the close kitchen, with the chairs stillbumping and rubbing at every step, and were safely settled in theircorner once more before Gail had finished her Saturday sweeping anddusting above. When she came downstairs to prepare their simple lunchand found the geographical cake missing from the pantry shelf, shethought Faith had disposed of it in some way, and consequently asked noquestions, but released the sorry little sinners from their chairs, gavethem their dinner and sent them off to play. 

When red-eyed Faith put in appearance late that afternoon, ready todeliver the other three cakes to her customers, she looked stealthilyabout for the ruined white mound, and not finding it, decided that Gailhad hid it until her heavy disappointment should have eased somewhat;and she, too, asked no questions. 

At first she refused to accompany the sisters on their visit to thefairgrounds, but Peace's bitter misery softened her heart, and she went, though still too sorely grieved to enjoy much of the gay scenes andbeautiful exhibits. However, all day long she studiously avoided thebuilding where the cooked food was on exhibition, though Peace was wildto investigate its mysteries, and even Gail tried to persuade her toenter. Late in the afternoon, just as the oldest sister was proposingthat they start for home, Cherry caught sight of a familiar figureentering the Horticultural Building, and raced after her with a yell ofrecognition, "Mrs. Grinnell, Mrs. Grinnell, we are all here!"

"Well, well, " exclaimed the woman, smiling into the flushed face at herelbow, "this is great luck. Come, all of you! I have found something Iwant you to see. You, most of all, Faith. "

She led them down one street and up another, into a white doorway beforeany of them had a chance to discover the name of the building, through amaze of aisles and a surging throng of weary sightseers, and paused inthe cake department, pointed toward a blue-ribbon cake in one case, andsaid triumphantly, "Peace's geography cake was the hit of the eveninglast Saturday, but it took the caramel layer to win the prize, Faith!"

CHAPTER XVII

THE CIRCUS AND THE MISSIONARY

"Oh, look, Allee! See the elephants and lions and giraffes and zebras onthat poster. It's the cirkis as sure as I'm alive! Do you know I'vealways wanted to see the cirkis, and this is the first time I ever knewone to stop at Parker. "

"How do you know it will stop here?" asked skeptical Allee, who was justbeginning to read, and found the long words on the billboard too muchfor her to master. 

"'Cause it says so. Parker, the eighteenth, Allee. Just think, that'sonly next Saturday! Just a week from today! Isn't it lucky it's onSaturday? Do you s'pose we can go?"

"I 'xpect it will take money for that just like it does for everythingelse, " answered the blue-eyed baby with a comically philosophical air;"and you know Gail never has any for such things as that. "

"Well, this is cheaper than most things, 'cause it says 'a-dultstwenty-five cents, and children fifteen cents. ' The Fair cost half adollar for a-dults and twenty-five cents for children. If there is achance to go to anything cheap, we better try hard to go, Allee, forthat doesn't happen often. "

"Maybe Gail might not like to have us go even if we could get themoney. "

"She does have some queer notions about places, doesn't she? At firstshe didn't want us to see that moving picture show at the church, butwhen Brother Strong went and took us, she thought it was all right. We'll ask about the cirkis before we tell her that it's coming, andmaybe we can find out that way whether she would let us go. "

"I don't think we would have to ask much, 'cause she thinks cirkises arebad, and I don't b'lieve she would like to have us there. "

"What makes you so sure? I never have heard her say a thing about them. "

"She told Hope so the time Hope wanted to see '_Julio and Romiet_' whenthey studied it in school. "

"That wasn't a cirkis, that was a theatre, Allee. That's different. Ittakes painted people to play out the words in the theatre, but at thecirkis only real animals act, and do tricks that take brains to learn. Why, this picture shows a nelephant beating a drum. Now, elephants livein the _jumbles_ of Africa, Hope says, and they don't have drums to beatthere. Hunters go to their houses and catch them and teach them how todrum, 'cause they have brains enough to learn. Look at that lion withits mouth open and that woman with her head chucked clear inside. Shemust like to be licked better'n I do. It makes me shiver when Towzersticks his big, hot tongue on my face. Ugh! S'posing the lion shouldshut his mouth and bite her head off, what do you guess she'd do?"

"I guess they'd have to get another woman for the lion, " answered Allee. "I don't b'lieve those animals really do those things, do you, Peace?"

"Yes, I do. Why, that book of natural history that Hector lent us afterhe got licked for stealing the melons tells about the way hunters trainthem to act in cirkises. I'd like to see them awfully much myself. "

"Then let's ask Gail. She _might_ have a little spare money. "

"No, I don't think she would. We'll have to earn the money ourselves, but I'm afraid she won't want us to go. That's what is bothering me. Itell you what let's do. We'll earn the money first and buy our tickets, and then I'm sure she will let us go. Shall we?"

"Maybe that would be the best way. But how'll we earn the money? It'sonly a week from now, you said yourself, and that won't leave us muchtime to do anything, 'specially as school keeps 'most all day long. There ain't any strawberries to pick or blackberries to sell or snow tosweep or--"

"Let's give a nentertaimnent in our barn like Hec and the boys did lastweek in their carriage-shed. They charged a cent apiece, and earnedmore'n a quarter, Hec told me. And I know we could give a betterentertainment than they did. You could sing and Cherry could speak. Perhaps we could coax Hope to read to us. She does it splendidly, thoughusu'ly she thinks she's too big to play with us any longer. I am prettysure Hec would turn summersets for us. He has been quite respectablesince that last licking the Judge gave him. Jimmy Jones would likelyplay the bones for us, too, if Hec asked him to. They don't make apretty noise, but it's a sight to see his hands fly. Tessie is learningthe fiddle and I know she'd be glad to show off, and so would Effie, ifwe could get our organ out into the barn. "

"And you can whistle, " put in Allee, all excitement as Peace unfoldedher brilliant plan. "You sound just like the birds, and Gail said onlythe other night that you did better than lots of people who have takenlessons. But do you s'pose she will let us have the organ? Do you s'poseshe'll even let us have the barn? It is in an awful clutter, and I don'tsee where we could put the people who come. "

"I was wondering about that myself, but it won't do any harm to ask. There is Hec. We can find out from him right away if he will be one ofour show. "

"Shall you tell him about the cirkis?"

"No, not a word. We'll have that as just a secret among our two selvesuntil we see how much money we can earn. See?"

"Yes. "

"Don't you tell a soul!"

"Of course I won't!"

"Hector, wait a minute! We want to see you. Say, will you be in anentertainment me and Allee are getting up in our barn?"

The boy looked somewhat surprised at this request, for Peace had beenvery slow in accepting his friendly advances, though he had showered herwith every possible attention ever since the day of the double tragedyin their breakfast room, owing to certain forceful remarks made by hisirate parent. Here was an opportunity not to be disregarded, but with agreat show of indifference, he leisurely faced the two conspirators, andlazily drawled out, "What kind of an entertainment?"

"One to make a little money, " Peace answered briefly. 

"What for?"

"'Cause I need it, " was the very satisfactory reply. 

"How much do you expect to make?"

"You said you got more'n a quarter, didn't you?"

"Yep. Twenty-eight cents. "

"Then I think we ought to get more'n fifty cents, 'cause we mean to havea _good_ program. "

Hector felt as if a dash of cold water had suddenly struck his face, buthe was quite accustomed to Peace's characteristics by this time, so didnot resent her implied doubtful compliment, but asked, with somewhatmore of interest in his manner, "Who's going to be in it?"

"Tessie and Effie and Cherry and Allee--"

"And Peace is to whistle, " put in the small cherub with sisterlyloyalty. 

"Aw, a girls' crowd! There ain't any boys in it. "

"You'll make one if you will turn summersets. And we thought you mightget Jimmie to play the bones for us, and p'r'aps Lute Dunbar might bringover his accordian. I b'lieve Mike O'Hara would speak that Irish pieceof his that makes folks laugh so much, and maybe we could get theminister to stand on his head. He does that elegant. Whenever I visitthere, that's the first thing I ask him for, and he nearly always doesit, too. "

"Whoop-ee!" shouted Hector, turning a handspring. "I know a _boy_ thatstands on his head, and he will do it any time I ask him to. Mr. Strongprob'ly wouldn't in front of a big crowd like you'd have in your barn. The Sherrars are coming down from Martindale Monday to stay a whole weekwith us, and Victor plays the cornet to beat the band. He's a littlebigger'n us, but he will do anything for Cecile, and I'll get her to askhim. What'll you do for chairs at your place?"

"I don't know, " Peace confessed. "Maybe Gail won't even let us havethe barn, but I think she will. We must give it this week, beforenext Saturday, I mean, 'cause that's the time we have to have themoney--" She stopped abruptly, fearing that he would guess her secret, but he showed no trace of suspicion, so with freer breath she continued, "I'm going home now and see Gail. I think Wednesday or Thursday afterschool would be the best time, don't you? Then if it should rain, wewould still have another day left before Saturday. It won't take us longto get ready, seeing we each do our part all alone. "

"Yes, " agreed Hector, with unusual readiness, "I think Wednesday will beall right, and I'll get up the tickets for you. "

"Goody! You might get them ready while I go see Gail. I'll be rightback. "

She and Allee disappeared up the road in a cloud of dust and Hectorrepaired to his home to manufacture the bits of cardboard necessary foradmission to the wonderful entertainment. It was an hour later thatPeace appeared at the Judge's door and asked to see the young gentlemanof the house, but it required no words from her to tell him that hererrand had been fruitless. 

"She won't let you give the entertainment!" he said, the instant he sawher woe-begone face. 

"She doesn't care about the entertainment at all, but she won't let ushave the barn, and here I've been and asked Effie and Tessie and Mike, and they all promised to take part. Oh, dear! I did want that money sobad!"

"Are you sure Gail won't care if you give the entertainment?" Hectorstood in considerable awe of the big girls at the little brown house, and he wanted to run no risks in the daring plan his own brain hadsuddenly evolved. 

"No, she doesn't care a single speck. She said we could give it in theorchard, but then anyone could come and look on without having to pay acent, and I can't get my money at all. "

"Yes, you can. We will give the entertainment in our carriage-shed ifyou'll divide the money with me, Peace. Course if I furnish the buildingI've a right to _part_ of the money. "

"But half is quite a lot, " demanded the girl with some hesitation. "See, I've _got_ to make at least thirty cents for Allee and me, and I wantedfifteen cents more for Cherry. "

"We could have Cecile's old organ in the shed, " said Hector, ignoringher objections for the moment; "and there is a big lantern hanging fromthe roof, so we could light it if it got dark before we were through. Wehad better light it anyway, I guess, and draw the curtains so no oneoutside can see. Then everyone who wants to hear the program will _have_to buy a ticket. If we get up such a swell entertainment, Peace, it isworth more'n a cent. Let's charge two for a nickel; then if we can getfifty people to come it will give us each quite a neat little pile outof it. What do you say?"

"I--don't--think--many folks would buy at such a high price, " saidPeace, doubtfully, though the picture he drew was very alluring. 

"Why, of course they will for such a bang-up program as we'll give them. Mamma and Cecile and Mrs. Sherrar and Frances will go; and Nancy andMarie, the girls. That makes six right there. Of course we can't chargeVictor anything if he takes part. I bet Miss Truesdale would buy aticket, too. You ask her, or get Allee to. Allee is in her room now. Theminister and his family are coming over some night for dinner while theSherrars are here, and I'll get mamma to invite them Wednesday, and youtell them to come early enough for the program. They'll be glad to. Mr. Strong was here the day we boys had our time in the carriage shed, andhe clapped and stamped the loudest of anyone. "

"Have you written the tickets yet?"

"No, just cut them. "

"Well, that's good. We'll charge a nickel for two tickets, and give itin your shed next Wednesday. Get to work now. I've just thought ofMontie Fry and his trick dog, and Dick Sullivan and his mouth-organ. Iam going right over and see if they will take part. "

She was as good as her word, and when the following Wednesday afternoonarrived it would have been hard to tell which was the largest, theaudience in the carriage shed, or the company of participants arrangedon the platform which Leonard had built for just such gatherings; butevery one of the fifty tickets had been sold, and late arrivals had topresent cash, at the door, where Hector presided. 

The program, was certainly original and varied, if somewhat lengthy, andthe audience was kept in a thrill of expectation from one number to thenext, for Peace was a master hand at arranging her numbers, andinstinctively had saved the best for the last. Just as she herself hadtaken her place in front of the motley gathering to give an exhibitionof her whistling, the big door swung noiselessly, and the company fromthe great house arrived in a body, --the Judge's wife and daughter, theirguests, the Sherrars, and the minister and his small family. They lookedvery much surprised to find the place crowded to its utmost capacity, but were even more astonished when, after a preliminary bar or so on themouth-organ, Dick Sullivan began softly to play _The Blue-bells ofScotland_, and Peace's red lips took up the melody, whistling withbeautiful accuracy and clearness, trilling through measure after measurewith bird-like notes, following all of Dick's variations, and adding afew of her own under the inspiration lent by the presence of her belovedfriends. 

"Cecile, " exclaimed her friend Frances, "why didn't you tell me you hadsuch a genius in your midst? I'd have been out here the first one tohear the whole program. Why, she looks like an angel, and her whistlingis divine. Who is she?"

"Peace Greenfield, " answered Cecile, almost too amazed for speech, forthis was the first time she herself had ever heard the young whistler. "Father calls her the dearest little nuisance in town. She is one of themost original pieces I ever saw in my life--always into mischief, andalways trying to help someone. But truly, I had no idea she couldwhistle like that. Mr. Strong, what do you think of it?"

"She is doing splendidly!" he whispered enthusiastically. "She is aregular genius at it. Why, a year ago she came to me and begged _me_ toteach her. "

"So she is a pupil of yours?" asked Mrs. Sherrar, as much enchanted withthe musician as were her young people. 

"Not exactly. I helped her what I could, but I think most of the creditbelongs to Mike O'Hara and the birds in the woods. He set her toimitating them; and she is an apt mimic, you will find. Clap with allyour might. "

The very rafters rang with the applause of the enthusiastic audience, asthe small whistler took her seat among her mates on the platform, andshe was forced to give another selection, and a third. Allee came toher aid in the fourth, and sang to a whistled accompaniment, but theapplause was more tremendous and insistent than before; and poor, wearyPeace rose to her feet for the fifth time, but instead of pouring forththe torrent of melody they expected, she faced the audiencebelligerently, and cried in exasperation, "My pucker is tired out and mythroat aches. Do you 'xpect me to stand here all night? Victor Sherrarwill play on his cornet now and then you can go home. "

"Mamma, " whispered Frances, while her brother was rendering the closingnumber of the program, "I simply must have those two tots at my partynext week. They will be a novelty and everyone is sure to like them. Cecile thinks I can borrow them all right, seeing that it is to beSaturday night. "

"Well, we'll see, " smiled the mother indulgently, as the crowd broke upand departed, while Peace and Hector divided the spoils in the corner. "She surely is an interesting specimen, and it was worth ten times themoney just to hear her squelch her audience. Where is Brother Strong?"

He was interviewing the brown-eyed girl, who, with her money in hand, was about ready to follow her companions for home; and they clusteredaround the little group by Hector's table just in time to hear Peace'sdismayed voice cry, "You're fooling! I didn't believe that of _you_. Why, Mr. Strong, I read it myself on the poster!"

"Where? What poster?"

"That big one up on the corner back of this house. Allee and me werepicking gentians when we saw it. Didn't we, Allee?"

"But, Peace, that was last year's sign. There hasn't been a circus intown this summer, and there isn't going to be. It is past circus time. "

"Are you sure?" she faltered, opening her fist and looking tragically atthe pile of nickels and dimes she held. 

"Perfectly sure! They were to have been here last year just about thistime, but it rained pitchforks, as you children say, and they didn'tstop. That poster is ragged and faded with time. If you don't believeme, just come up to the corner and I'll show you the date. "

"Oh, I b'lieve you! Ministers don't often tell lies; but I was justthinking of this heap of money I've earned all for nothing. Eighty centswas my share, and I thought that would take most of our family--s'posingGail would let us go. "

The amused grown-ups smiled behind her back, but the preacher understoodhow disappointed she was, and taking her hand sympathetically in his, hedrew her aside and whispered a few words in her ear which brought backthe sparkle to her eyes and the happy glow to her face, as she exclaimedenthusiastically, "I'll do it! Sure! No, I won't tell a soul. CourseGail will let me. All right! Good-bye!"

She was off like a shot down the road, and the pastor joined his hostesson the way to the house, with the irrelevant remark, "Dr. David Peak, amissionary to Africa, is to speak at our Sunday morning service. I hopewe have a large attendance, as this will be a rare treat. It isn't oftena little country church can secure so notable a speaker. Spread the goodnews all you can. "

Something in his voice made the Judge's wife say suggestively, "He isnot to be the only unusual attraction, is he?"

"The only one to be advertised, " smiled the parson, and she understood. 

The following Sabbath day was glorious, bright, warm, and with the smellof fall in the air. The church was packed; pastor and people were attheir best; and an expectant hush fell over the little audience when Mr. Strong took his seat after reading the weekly announcements. The organbegan to play softly, necks were craned to catch a glimpse of thesinger, and then a buzz of surprise filled the room. Peace, dressed allin white, and looking like a rosy cherub, had mounted to the organ loftwhere Faith was playing, and at the proper moment, she began to whistlea beautiful bird melody which surprised even those who had heard her theprevious Wednesday. The whole audience sat spellbound. It seemedincredible that Peace, --little, blundering Peace, riotous, rebellious, happy-go-lucky Peace--had such a soul of melody bottled up within her. It was as if the songsters from the forest were suddenly let loose, andeven her own sisters were amazed at her song. 

Mr. Strong had been wise when he chose that moment for Peace's music, for the whole congregation was in tune for the grand missionary pleawhich followed, when Dr. Peak rose to address them; and so inspired, anduplifted was the speaker himself that he preached as he never had donebefore, bringing his cause so close to the people that they werethrilled and fired with his enthusiasm. 

Parker was a well-to-do little village, built originally for the expresspurpose of permitting wealthy business men of the city to find peacefulretreat from the noisy metropolis, where, week in and week out, theyspent the long days of labor. It had now somewhat outgrown thisreputation, but still numbered many rich men among its inhabitants, andboasted of an unusually fine church for such a small place, although itwas not noted for its spiritual zeal, and particularly was it lacking inits missionary spirit. These were difficulties which the ardent youngpreacher, Mr. Strong, had sought for many long months to overcome, andwhile the earnest missionary from Africa was pleading the cause of theheathen, the pastor praying with all his might for his owncongregation. 

When the wonderful sermon was finished, and Mr. Strong saw the unusualinterest in the faces before him, he determined to strike while the ironwas hot, and though that Sunday was not scheduled for a missionarycollection, he sprang to his feet and made an urgent plea for more fundsfor the grand and glorious cause. 

"Give from the depths of your heart, " he urged. "Think of these millionsof people needing the Gospel. Brother Peak has come direct from thefield, he knows conditions better than anyone else can know them. Hetells us they need more missionaries. How are they to get them? Throughus in our civilized countries. We can't all go in person, but I don'tthink there is a soul here this morning but can give something to help alittle. The ushers will now wait upon you. Who will be the first togive, and what shall it be, --yourself, time, m--"

"My cirkis money!" cried a shrill voice from the organ loft, and therestood Peace, fishing coin after coin from the depths of her pocket anddropping them over the pulpit into the missionary's outstretched hand. "I earned it so's me and Allee and Cherry could go to the cirkis--thatis, if Gail would let us--and then, come to find out, it was lastsummer, and on 'count of the rain it never stopped at all. Next best toseeing the cirkis is hearing what that man said about the little blackbabies in Africa, --that's where the cirkis animals come from, too, --andI couldn't help wondering how I'd feel s'posing I had to live there andbe black and eat such horrible things and be boiled in a kettle to takethe dirt off, and buy my wife for a junk of cloth and wear strings ofbeads for clo'es. Here's my eighty cents, Dr. Missionary, to buy them alittle more Gospel, and when I'm grown up if there are still heathenliving in that country, I b'lieve I'll come down and help. "

Whether it was the missionary's sermon, Mr. Strong's plea, or Peace'spostscript that did the work, perhaps no one will ever know, but whenthe ushers brought their loaded baskets to the pulpit and theextraordinary collection was counted, it was found that over one hundreddollars had been raised for the missionary cause that morning in theParker Church. 

CHAPTER XVIII

THE HAND-ORGAN MAN

Hardly had the four younger girls disappeared across the fields on theway to school the next morning, when the Abbott carriage drew up infront of the little brown house, and Cecile and Frances hurried up thepath to the door. Gail answered the imperative knock, and looked sosurprised and pleased at the unexpected call that the Judge's daughter'sface crimsoned with contrition and shame to think she had neglected thisold-time friend so long. 

"Why, Cecile!" stammered Gail, glancing involuntarily from the girls'fresh, white suits to her own shabby print frock and rolled-up sleeves. "This is a great treat. Come right in! We are so glad to have you call. Don't apologize; you are more than welcome. But please excuse myappearance. It is Monday morning and Faith and I are washing. "

"Then don't you apologize, either, " said Cecile, trying to laugh easilyand failing utterly. "We should not have called at this outrageous hour, but Frances is to return to the city this afternoon, and she insistedupon coming to see about the children before she left. "

"Oh!" The bright light died from Gail's eyes, and the girls lookeduncomfortable. So it was an errand after all and not a friendly callwhich brought them. "What is the matter with the children? Has Peace--"

"No, oh, no, nothing has happened, " Cecile began hastily, when Francesinterrupted, "It was on my account. Your little whistler has captivatedme completely--and mamma, too. We wanted to know if we might borrow themnext Saturday, Peace and Allee, to help out in the program at a party Iam giving that night. Oh, don't say no! I have set my heart on it. Wewill take the best care of them and bring them home early Sundaymorning. We are coming out here for dinner at Mr. Strong's house thatday, and of course must arrive in time for church service. Please say wecan borrow them. I do want them _so_ much!"

"Dear me, " exclaimed Cecile in mortification. "I haven't even introducedyou two girls. No wonder you think I am crazy, Gail. This is my chumfrom Martindale, Miss Sherrar, Miss Greenfield--"

"I'm Frances, " again the radiant-faced stranger interrupted. 

"And I am Gail, " smiled the other. "I have heard the Strongs speak ofyou often. "

"No oftener than we have heard them speak about you, " Frances assuredher. "We have known both of them for years, and ever since they tookcharge here in Parker we have heard lots about you. "

"No doubt. Mr. Strong is quite a champion of Peace's, and she certainlyneeds one. I am afraid I don't make much of a success in bringing up thelittle ones. "

"I think Peace is a perfect cherub--in looks. "

The trio laughed merrily, and Cecile added, "She means to be in actions, but nothing she ever does comes out the way she intended it to, and shekeeps everyone guessing as to what she will do next. You ought to hearDaddy rave about her. He thinks she is the smartest child he ever saw. "

"I think she is the sweetest, " said Frances, "she and Allee. They areboth too cunning for anything. I simply must have them at my party. Won't you say they can come?"

"They have nothing to wear for such a grand occasion, " Gail hesitated, anxious to please, and yet not quite willing to trust two of theprecious sisters with strangers for even a twenty-four hours. 

"That is easily remedied. I have some little cousins who are sure tohave dresses that will fit. It is to be rather a dress-parade, I mustadmit, but you needn't worry on that account. Mamma knows how to fixthem up in Sara's and Marion's clothes. We must have them. Mr. Strongwill give us a good recommend, I know. "

Gail laughed. "There is no need of that at all. I am willing that theyshould go, only you can hardly blame me for hesitating a little, as thiswill be the first time either one has been away from home over night;and besides, Peace is such a blunderbus, I rather dread to let her goanywhere for fear she will get into trouble. "

"Now you oughtn't to feel that way at all, " cried Frances gaily. "_I_was just such a child as she is, and see what a well-behaved young lady_I_ have grown to be! But really, she has such a sweet disposition andgreat, tender heart, she will come out all right, I know. Mr. Strongsays so, and he is a splendid character reader. Oh, of course, I supposeshe has her bad days. We all do, but she is too much of a darling tostay bad long. You should hear your preacher sermonize about her. Hesays just as sure as she gets into mischief of any kind she comes to himand tells him all about it, cries over it, and goes away promising to bea better girl. Oh, I have lost my heart to her completely! We won't lether get into mischief of any kind, I promise. And I know she will enjoyherself. "

"Well, " answered Gail, slowly, "they may go, if you wish them so badly. How--"

"Cecile will bring them when she comes Saturday morning, if you arewilling. That will give us plenty of time to get everything fixed upproperly. I thank you so much for your permission; and, Gail, though wemust hurry away this morning, the next time I come out here for a visit, I shall run in to see you for a nice long chat. May I?"

"Oh, if you just would!" cried gentle Gail impulsively, longing to takethe bright face between her hands and kiss it. "We are too busy here toget out very much ourselves, but we do like company 'awfully bad, ' asPeace used to say. I hope you come soon. The children will be ready forCecile Saturday when she gets here. Good-bye, I am sorry you must go sosoon. Come again, Cecile. " The girls were gone, and Gail went back toher wash-tubs in a daze. 

Needless to say, the little girls were wild with excitement when told ofthe coming gala day, and Cherry was green-eyed with envy, though, likethe well-behaved child she was, she never said a word to mar thebeautiful time in store for the two more fortunate sisters. Long beforeCecile arrived Saturday morning, the stiffly-starched duet stood on thesteps, waiting in a fever of impatience; and by the time the Sherrarhouse in the great city was reached, both little girls were almosttransported with joy. They nearly talked Cecile's head off, so eagerwere they to find out all about the grand party, and everything else ofinterest they could think of; so she was more than relieved to turn herlively charges over to Frances the minute that young lady put inappearance. 

"You little darlings!" the hostess exclaimed at sight of them. "Takethem right upstairs, Sophy; mamma wants them at once. Cecile, you looktired out. Oh, yes, I can understand just how you feel for Sara andMarion were here all day yesterday, and what do you think? They haven'ta thing suitable for us to borrow. Mamma says we'll have to go downtownand buy something ready-made for Peace and Allee. She is dressing now, and if you aren't too tired, I'm going to drag you along. "

"Oh, I'm never too tired for gadding, " replied Cecile with animation. "But I can't answer half the questions those chatterboxes ask, and thismorning Allee was as bad as Peace. She wants to know if a chandeliercrows and is just an ordinary rooster. Peace thinks those green-houseswe pass on the car ought to be called 'white-houses, ' because they arepainted white. Just before we got off at our avenue she suddenlydemanded to know for whom 'Vandrevort Street' was named. I couldn'tthink for the life of me what she meant until I remembered we crossTwenty-fourth Street, and the conductor was a foreigner who doesn'tpronounce his words distinctly. She is possessed to know why, if theworld is round, the houses on the other side don't fall off; and why, when we lift our feet to step, they always come down to the earth againinstead of staying in the air. Why is it we can't pick ourselves up inour own arms; why don't women's shoes hook up like men's; what is thereason policemen's clothes are always blue and the grass is neveranything but green; why don't mules look like horses and what makes themkick?"

Cecile stopped for breath, and Frances screamed with delight. "Maybe webetter stop and consult the doctor while we are in town, " she suggested. 

"No, I guess that won't be necessary now, for I have resigned them toyour tender mercies, and you must answer their questions after this. Ifyou don't get enough of it, Frances Sherrar, before tomorrow morning--"

"Don't prophesy, Cecile! If they can hold a candle to Marion and Sara, I'll give you my opal ring. "

"I stand a pretty good chance of getting the ring, then, " answeredCecile, half-laughing, half-serious; but at that moment Mrs. Sherrarhustled down the stairway, with the two children in her wake, and themerry group set out for town. 

"This is the corner, mamma, " said Frances, as the car came to astandstill at one of the busiest streets; "and, oh, if there aren't Mrs. Tate and Lucy! I haven't seen them for an age. Hurry, mamma, you knowyou are as anxious to see them as I am. "

Peace and Allee found themselves bundled hurriedly down the steps, jerked through the surging crowd of people, teams and automobiles instreet, and landed on the opposite corner breathless, but game. 

"Stay right here, " they heard Mrs. Sherrar say; and the next instant theolder members of the party were wholly absorbed with thoseunexpectedly-met friends. The children listened impatiently for a fewmoments, but finding the conversation very uninteresting, looked aboutthem for other more congenial amusement. 

Just then a wheezy old hand-organ behind them began a familiar melody, and Peace beheld the player, a bent, white-haired, blind man, sitting inthe shadow of a lamp-post on the edge of the curbing, slowly, patientlyturning the crank of the little machine. She was at his side in aninstant, staring into the sightless face with her great, brown, pityingeyes. His clothes were very shabby, his cheeks were pinched and pale;his cup, she noticed, stood empty on the top of the organ; his handswere terribly thin, and trembled as he played, so that he had to stopfrequently between songs and rest. 

"Are you sick, Mr. Blind-man?" she asked before she was aware she hadspoken her thoughts aloud. 

The white, unseeing eyes of the organist turned in the direction of thevoice, and he answered with a show of cheerfulness, "Not now, littlelady. "

"Then you have been?"

"Yes, this is my first day out for two weeks. "

"Oh, you poor man! It must tire you dreadfully to have to grind that boxall day. Won't you let me try it awhile? I know I can do it all right. You can count your money while I play. "

"There ain't been any to count so far this morning, " he murmured, unconsciously dropping his hand from the organ as the quaint, old-fashioned song was finished; and before he had a chance toremonstrate, Peace had seized the crank with both hands, and wasgrinding away with all her might. But, though the crank seemed to turneasily enough, the music came in jerks, and the blind player tookpossession of his organ the minute she had completed the last bar, saying gently, "I am afraid you don't know how to make the music, littleone. But I thank you a thousand times for your great good-will. I shallsoon be strong enough to play as well as I always have. The first day isa little hard. Tomorrow it will be better. We'll change the roll now, and give them another tune. " He fumbled about the organ for a moment ortwo, and then the strains of _Annie Laurie_ filled the air. 

"Oh, I know that!" cried Peace, with animation. "Allee, you come andsing, while I whistle. We can do it lovely. Now begin again. "

Nothing loath to humor his strange, sympathetic little guests, he beganthe second time to grind out the wheezy notes of the beautiful, time-honored song, and Peace's red lips took up the accompaniment, while Allee's sweet, childish voice warbled the words:

 "Maxwellton braes are bonnie, Where early fa's the dew, And it's there that Annie Laurie Gied me her promise true-- Gied me her promise true, Which ne'er forgot will be; And for bonnie Annie Laurie I'd lay me doon and dee. "

Mrs. Sherrar wheeled in amazement at the sound; the girls broke offtheir animated conversation to stare at the quaint group on the corner;a crowd gathered quickly; and with sudden, characteristic impulsiveness, Peace caught up the battered tin cup from the old hand-organ, and heldit out invitingly. Hand after hand plunged deep into scores of pockets;coin after coin rattled into the little dipper; the old man playedeagerly, breathlessly; and the children sang again and again in responseto the applause from the street. 

How long the impromptu concert might have continued no one knows, butthrough a break in the sea of faces surrounding them, Peace caught aglimpse of Mrs. Sherrar's portly form, and it reminded her suddenly ofwhere she was and how she came to be there. Breaking off in the midst ofher song, she thrust the heavy cup back into the owner's hands, bowedto the astonished throng, and cried shrilly, "He's been sick and can'tplay as much as he used to could, until he gets strong again; so heneeds all the money he can get. Don't forget him when you go by again. "

Grabbing Allee by the arm, she whisked away to where her friends werewaiting, fearful lest they might not approve of her impulsive action; sobefore they had a chance to speak a word either of blame or praise, shebegan, excusingly, "Just s'posing we all had our eyes punched out so'swe couldn't see, and had to sit on street corners and grind out musicall day long. Wouldn't it be terrible? I--I--thought--maybe it mighthelp a little if we joined in the music, and it did. He's got a wholecupful of money, and now maybe he'll go home and rest a bit. He's beensick. "

Tears filled the eyes of the little company of grown-ups, and Frances, with an understanding heart, drew the childish figures close, sayingtenderly, "For these bonnie little lassies I'd lay me doon and dee. "

CHAPTER XIX

HEARTBREAK

It was a wild, stormy, October night. The rain fell fitfully, and thehowling wind raced madly through forest and over farmland, shriekingdown chimneys, rattling windows and doors, whistling through everyconceivable crack and crevice, and rudely buffeting any traveler whochanced to be abroad. In the brown house three rosy-cheeked little maidslay fast asleep in their beds in the tiny back chamber, blissfullyunconscious of wind and rain; but in the room below Faith and Hope keptanxious vigil, awaiting Gail's return from the darkness and the storm. 

"I should have gone, too, " croaked Faith, in a voice so hoarse she couldscarcely speak above a whisper. 

"No, indeed, " Hope declared. "You have a dreadful cold now; but I thinkshe might have let me go. Towzer isn't enough company on such a night, and like as not he will get tired of waiting and come home without her. What was that? Oh, only the clock. Eleven! I had no idea it was solate. "

She rose from her chair and paced restlessly back and forth across theroom, pausing at every turn to look first out of one window and thenout of the other, as if trying to penetrate the inky blackness of thestormy night. The unlatched gate creaked dismally on its hinges;somewhere a door banged shut; and then an old bucket blew off the backporch and down the steps with a rattlety-clatter which made the twowatchers within start and shiver. 

Peace heard it, too, and sat bolt upright in bed, not knowing what hadawakened her, but trembling like a leaf with nervous fear. A terrificgust of wind roared around the corner, shaking the little brown housefrom rafter to foundation; the great elm trees tossed and groaned insympathy, and the leafless vines over the porch beat a mournful tattooagainst the walls. 

 "Have you ever heard the wind go 'Yoooooo?' 'Tis a pitiful sound to hear! It seems to chill you through and through With a strange and speechless fear, "

chattered Peace, hardly conscious of what she was saying. The gate shutwith a clang. "What's that? Sounded 's if--it _was_ the gate bangingand someone is coming up the steps! I wonder who it can be this time ofnight and in all this storm?"

She listened intently for the visitor to knock. None came, but the frontdoor was opened unceremoniously, a blast of wind tore through the house, and she heard two excited, relieved voices exclaim, "Oh, Gail! Wethought you would never come. Take off your coat this minute! You aredrenched!"

"What on earth is Gail doing out of doors in this rain?" said Peace toherself. "She was sewing when I came up to bed. I'm going to find out. "Tumbling out of her warm nest, she crept softly down the stairs, andslipped behind the faded drapery which served as door to the tiny hallcloset, from which position she could watch the girls in theliving-room, and hear much of what they were saying. 

The first words which greeted her ears as the curtain fell back inposition with her behind it, were Faith's: "Oh, Gail, not Mr. _Skinner_!"

"Yes, " answered the oldest sister in a strained, unnatural voice thatstruck terror to the little spy's heart, "Mr. Skinner!"

"But I thought Mr. Hartman held the mortgage, " Hope began in bewilderedtones. 

"He did, dear, " Gail answered. "I supposed he still held it; we paid thelast interest money to him. "

"Then how--"

"Two years ago Mr. Hartman signed a note for old Mr. Lowe on the LibertyRoad. The Lowes have always been considered wealthy people, and the twofamilies have been close friends for years, so he thought there would beno trouble about the note; but when it fell due in July Mr. Lowecouldn't pay, and Mr. Hartman had to. He owns quite a little property, I guess, but all his ready money had gone into fixing up his buildingsand putting up a new barn. Mr. Skinner wouldn't give an extension oftime on the note, and said he would take nothing but cash payment or themortgage on our farm. He has always wanted this place, it seems, and hadexpected to get it when papa bought it--you know the first owner was agreat friend of our family--and there was some bad feeling over it. Henever liked us, and Peace's prank with his bull settled everything. Hewas fairly insulting--"

"Did you go to see him?" chorused the sisters. 

"Surely. I thought there might be a _chance_ of his extending the timeon the mortgage, but--he wouldn't listen to me. "

"Then we must lose the farm?"

"We have a month more before the mortgage is due, but I don't know wherethe money to pay is coming from. I am afraid--the farm--must go. " Shegasped out the words in such misery and despair that Peace found herselfcrying with the older sister across the hall. 

"What will become of us?" choked Hope after a long pause. 

"I--I don't know, " murmured Gail, "unless you go to live with theneighbors until I can find something to do so I can get you all togetheragain. It seems the village people have already talked this over amongthemselves. "

"Did Peace tell you after all?" demanded Faith. 

"No, I didn't! I never said a word!" cried Peace in great indignation, and the startled sisters beheld a frowzy head thrust from behind thecloset drapery, and a pair of angry eyes glaring at them. "I won't go tolive with the Judge nor Mr. Hardman, either. Len and Cecile tease medreadfully, Hector I _predominate_ with all my heart and I can't abideMr. Hardman. He isn't square. He shouldn't have given old Skinflint the_mordige_. It b'longs to us. Oh, dear, I'll never pick raspberriesagain! That bull has made more fuss than any other person I know. "

Gail caught the shivering, sobbing child in her arms, wrapped a shawlaround her, and sought to soothe her grief by saying gently, "There, there, honey, don't cry like that! You are shaking with cold. How longhave you been in the closet, and why were you hiding there?"

"I heard you come in and I _had_ to see what was the matter. Oh, do sayI won't have to go to the Judge or Mr. Hardman! I hate them both--"

"Peace, " reproved Gail, "you mustn't speak so. I am sorry you haveoverheard anything about the matter. Mr. Hartman had a perfect right tosell the mortgage to Mr. Skinner, and under the circumstances we can'tblame him. He wouldn't have done it if he could have helped it. "

"What I can't understand, " interposed Faith, with a deep frowndisfiguring her forehead, "is why he waited this long before tellingus. "

"I guess he didn't relish breaking such news to us anyway, but he hasbeen hoping right along that Mr. Lowe would be able to pay him for thenote. Then he could buy back the mortgage, or loan us the money so wecould meet it, which amounts to the same thing. Of course, it is barelypossible that he will yet get the money in time, but we can't count onit at all. He was so broken up over the matter that he actually criedwhile he was talking to me. "

"I sh'd think he would!" stormed Peace, who could not yet understand howtheir neighbor had any excuse for selling the mortgage; neither did sheunderstand just what sort of a thing a mortgage is, but that it hadsomething to do with money and their farm was perfectly clear. 

"Isn't there someone we know who could loan us the money?" asked Hope, the hopeful, unwilling to accept the dark situation as it was presented. 

"I can't think of a soul. Most of father's close friends were ministers, and they wouldn't be able to help us. We have no relatives living. Wehaven't anybody--"

"We have each other, " whispered Hope; and Gail's clasp on the littleform in her lap tightened convulsively as she wondered vaguely how muchlonger they could say those words. 

"We have Mr. Strong, too, " reminded Peace. "Maybe he knows how the moneycould be paid. "

"I had thought of asking his advice, but of course it was too stormytonight. We must wait until day. "

"If he can't help us, ask him if he won't take me, " said Peace, in hermost wheedlesome tones. "I would rather live with him than with anyoneelse in the world if we have to break up our house. I thought he wouldlike to have me, too, but Mr. Jones said he wanted Allee. "

"Mr. Jones doesn't know anything about it. Don't fret, dearie! There maybe lots of ways out of our trouble without our having to separate. I_hope_ so. We have a month to think and plan; but if we must scatter fora time among our kind friends, I trust we will all go bravely and do ourbest to please. "

"But I _can't_ go to the Judge's, Gail! He's a perfect fury, gets mad atnothing, and chaws his mustache and glares so ugly I always listen tosee whether he's going to growl like Towzer. "

"He has the finest house in town, " said Faith consolingly, "and a pianoand a horse and buggy. He is going to have an automobile next summer. "

"I'd rather live with nice folks than with pianos and nautomobiles, "Peace interrupted. "I don't know what he wants of another girl, unlessit is for Len and Hector to tease. "

"I thought you liked Len?"

"He used to be nice, but since he's began going to scollege, he'shorrid. He saw me yesterday morning in Cherry's dress, 'cause I tore mylast clean one; and he bugged his two eyes out like he was awfullys'prised, and said, 'Mah deah child, yoah dress is too long! I don'tlike the looks of it. '" She mimicked the college dude's affected airs soperfectly that the three sisters shouted with laughter, forgetting forthe moment their heavy burden of care. 

"What did you say?" asked Faith curiously, although in her heart sheknew that Len must have met his match. 

"I looped my fingers up in circles like make-b'lieve eye-glasses, andsaid, 'Mah deah man, yoah hat is too tall and yoah pants ah too wide. Idon't like the looks of them, but I am too p'lite to say so. '"

Another shout of mirth made the rafters ring, and the trio laughed tillthey cried, much to Peace's surprise, for the scene she had justdepicted had caused her much indignation, and she could see nothingfunny about it. "If you don't be stiller you'll wake the children, " shewarned them in her most grandmotherly tones, and they sobered quickly, remembering the ghost of trouble hovering over the little house. 

For a long time they sat there in silence, each one busy with her owndisturbed thoughts, unaware that the fire in the stove had died out, orthat the chimes had long since struck midnight. 

Suddenly Gail lifted her eyes from the hole in the carpet, at which shehad been staring unseeingly, glanced at the old clock on the wall, andexclaimed, "Girls, it's a quarter to one! Fly into bed, every one ofyou! School keeps tomorrow just the same. Try to lay aside this troubleat least for tonight and get a little sleep. In the morning I will speakto Mr. Strong about it--"

"And remember to speak to God about it, too, " murmured drowsy Peace, stumbling upstairs in front of the weary mother-sister. 

CHAPTER XX

AT THE BROKER'S OFFICE

"This is Saturday morning, Gail, and Mrs. Grinnell says I can go toMartindale with her if you will let me, " said Peace, a few days aftertheir midnight conference. She might have added that she herself hadasked for the invitation, but for reasons of her own she made no mentionof this fact. 

Gail looked up from the pan of yeast she was "setting, " and hesitatinglybegan, "Well--"

"I've wiped the dishes and fed the hens and dusted the parlor--"

"But I haven't swept the parlor yet, " Gail protested. 

"I can't help that. I have dusted, " Peace answered, firmly. "If I hadwaited until you got ready to sweep, Mrs. Grinnell would have beengone. "

Gail giggled in spite of her efforts to check the smile on her lips, andthen soberly said, "But what about the eggs?"

"I have delivered my bunch already. "

"Why, Peace, those baskets weren't full! What will Mrs. Abbott think?"

"Oh, I fixed that all right. There wasn't time to do much hunting forour own eggs, so I borrowed the rest of Mrs. Hartman. "

"Peace Greenfield! What shall I do with you?" cried the older sister inutter discouragement, dropping her hands from her pan of mixing in agesture of despair which scattered a cloud of flour over herself and theimpatient pleader. 

"Let me go with Mrs. Grinnell, " was the prompt reply. "I won't be inyour way all day, then; and while I am gone, the hens will have laidenough eggs to pay back Mrs. Hartman. I borrowed only five. Twenty-eighthens ought to be able to lay that many before I get back. The eightbiddies I bought with the rest of my melon money could do better thanthat, Gail. Please say I can go!"

Perhaps it was the sight of the wistful little face, perhaps it wasvisions of a quiet day in which to attend to housework that won thedesired permission; but at any rate Gail consented reluctantly, andPeace danced away to find the kind neighbor and report the sister'sdecision. 

"My, but I'm glad, " she hummed to herself as she scrambled into her bestdress and flew out of the door into the warm autumn sunshine. "I thoughtshe wouldn't let me go, and then I couldn't get the money. Oh, I am soglad, so glad!"

"Where are you going?" demanded a grieved voice, as Allee came throughthe barn door and caught a glimpse of her sister's best skirts under theflying coat. 

Peace stopped short in the path and thoughtfully sucked her finger asshe eyed the dirty pinafore and wistful face of this pet of the family. 

"To Martindale, " she said, briefly. "Come along! There isn't time toclean up. We'll hide you under the lap robe. Mrs. Grinnell won't care. Cherry, Oh, Cherry, tell Gail I have taken Allee with me! She ain't_very_ dirty, and I'll keep her covered up out of sight. And now, Allee, don't you say a word to anyone about it, but I _begged_ Mrs. Grinnell totake me. I want to get some money to buy back that _mordige_ of oursfrom old Skinflint. Mind you keep it secret!"

"I will, " promised Allee readily, for with her Peace's very wish waslaw. 

"There is Mrs. Grinnell all harnessed and waiting. Hurry up! I had tobring Allee, Mrs. Grinnell, 'cause I wouldn't be at home to amuse her, and she might get into mischief, " she explained as they arrived pantingand breathless beside the big, roomy carriage, and she saw thequestioning glance of the woman's eyes. 

"Oh, I see, " answered Mrs. Grinnell, smiling grimly. "But how aboutGail? Does she know?"

"Oh, yes, she knows by this time. I sent Cherry to tell her. Therewasn't time to change her dress, so we will have to keep her covered uppretty well, 'specially as she's wearing her old play coat. Say, Mrs. Grinnell, do you know some people named Swift and Smart who live inMartindale?"

"There is a firm of brokers by that name on Sixth Street. Why?" shedemanded suspiciously, for when Peace asked such a question, it usuallymeant mischief brewing. 

"Oh, I just wanted to know if there were really people called that or ifMr. Hardman was only teasing. He told me when I killed the hens that Ibetter go there and borrow money to buy new ones with. "

"He was just tormenting you, " the woman replied, severely. "I hope youweren't thinking of doing such a thing?"

"Oh, no!" Peace exclaimed, the hopeful light in her eyes fading quickly. "Haven't I already bought eight good hens of O'Hara with my melon money?They lay better than our others do, too. That makes twenty-eight in allnow. But I don't see why Mr. Hardman told me Swift & Smart would give methe money. "

"He was playing smart himself, I guess. That firm is one of the biggestof its kind in the city. They buy mortgages and such things; theyhaven't time to spend on little loans. "

"Oh, " said Peace, but the glad light came back to the somber brown eyesonce more, and she bounced happily up and down on the leather cushion. "That name seemed such a funny one to me, I couldn't forget it. Swift &Smart--I wonder if it fits?"

"If it fits?" echoed her companion. 

"Yes. S'posing Mr. Swift was slower'n molasses in January and Mr. Smartwas stupid as a stump, they would be as big misfits as I am, wouldn'tthey? Now if grandpa could just have known the kind of a girl I wasgoing to be, I bet he never would have named me Peace. Faith says itwould have been more 'propriate if he had called me Pieces. I was justthinking what if those _breakers_ were the same way. "

"Brokers, my dear, not breakers. Well, I can't say how well the namesfit, for I don't know them except by hearsay; but I judge they must bepretty smart whether they are slow or swift. "

Peace giggled gleefully as if she appreciated the pun, and saidmusingly, "I'd like to see for myself how well they fitted. The namessound so funny. Do you go near their store today?"

"Why, yes, we are just across the street from it when we stop atDarnell's Dry Goods Store, but they have an office and not a store, child, and no one goes there unless they want to borrow money orsomething of that kind. Here we are at Peterson's. Will you come inwhile I do my trading?"

"Well, no, " stammered Peace, her face flushing crimson under herfriend's searching gaze. "Allee is pretty dirty and we best sit righthere, don't you think?"

Mrs. Grinnell hesitated, puzzled at this unusual resolve on the part ofthe children who liked nothing better than to wander through the bigdepartment stores and admire the pretty things; then she replied grimly, "Very well, but don't either one of you stir out of that buggy while Iam gone. "

"No, we won't, " they promised in angelic tones, and the woman left them, still perplexed and somewhat ill at ease. Fearing that some mischief wason foot she cut short her bargain-hunting tour in Peterson's store andhurried back to her charges, only to find them sitting silent and erecton the seat where she had left them, busy watching the bustling crowdsin the streets. 

"Why, " cried Peace, almost in dismay, "you weren't gone at all hardly!You must be a quick shopper. "

"Yes, in this case, " laughed the relieved woman, climbing into the rigand clucking at the horse, "but it may take me some time at theMartindale Dry Goods Store, and probably longer yet at Darnell's. Do youthink you can wait patiently out here in the wagon?"

"Oh, yes, it's lots of fun watching the people go by. There was one manback there so fat and _pusy_ that we wondered what would happen s'posinghe should stub his toe. I don't believe his head and feet _could_ hitthe sidewalk at the same time, and he'd just roll away like a ball, unless someone helped him up, wouldn't he?"

Again Mrs. Grinnell laughed grimly as she remarked with some sarcasm, "What great sights you do see! You will be a genius one of these days, I'll warrant. This is the Martindale. Now don't get out of the buggy. "

"S'posing she says that at the next store, " thought Peace to herself, but aloud she answered cheerily, "Don't you fret, Mrs. Grinnell. " Thebusy woman was gone fully half an hour that time and Peace was jubilant, but she did not show her delight, and merely remarked, as Mrs. Grinnellgathered up the reins once more, "How little time it takes you to buythings! Gail and Faith tramp all day to find a pair of stockings, andthen like as not get cheated. It is perfectly splendid watching the wayfolks crowd, better than seeing things in the store. I never knew beforehow much fun it is. You just ought to have seen that lady in the purplehat fool two men. One man was coming towards her and the other was justbehind her when they got jammed in the doorway there. The front manjumped one way and the woman jumped the same way so he couldn't get by. He hopped back in his first place, and she hopped back in hers, and allthe while the long feather on her hat was spearing the hind man in theeye, but he kept hopping the same way the others did. I thought I shouldscreech before the woman got enough jumping and stood still so the mencould get past, and didn't they look mad and scowly! Mercy, is thisDarnell's? Well, you needn't worry about us one mite, but take all thetime you want. The horse is as good as gold, and I'm keeping Allee'sdirty dress out of sight. "

"I'll be back as soon as I can, " promised Mrs. Grinnell when she couldget in a word, and forgetting her usual parting admonition, she hurriedsway through the crowd into the store. 

"Now, " exclaimed Peace, all a-flutter the minute the broad back haddisappeared, "let's see where Swift & Smart live. There it is justacross the street, but we'll have to hurry, 'cause there is no tellinghow soon she will be back. Here, wrap this lap robe around you to keepyour clothes out of sight, and give me your hand. Mercy! I should thinkthe p'lice would have certain streets for the nautomobiles and cars togo on instead of letting 'em all jumble up that way. We didn't get hitthat time; don't wait for the next one to come, but run. "

Dragging poor, frightened, stumbling Allee and the trailing robe throughthe turmoil of the street, Peace managed to land on the opposite walkwithout mishap, but how she ever did it was a marvel to the big, brawnypoliceman shouting warnings to them as he tried in vain to reach thelittle figures dodging so recklessly under horses' noses, in front offlying automobiles and across the path of clanging bicycles. 

"Are we all here?" gasped the blue-eyed tot when Peace had set her onher feet once more and adjusted the dragging robe about her shoulders. 

"Course! What did you think we left behind? I know how to get acrosscrowded streets. Here is the door. I wonder which is Smart and which isSwift, --there are three men in the room. "

She lifted the latch and boldly entered, then halted and took a carefulsurvey of her surroundings. 

There were several desks in the office, all dreadfully littered withpapers and books, and at one of these sat a short, bald-headed man, talking rapidly to a pretty, smiley-faced young girl, who scribbledqueer little scratches in a tablet. Beside another desk in the oppositecorner of the room were two men, both tall and gray and pleasantappearing, but so much absorbed in their conversation that they did notnotice the children's entrance. Through a nearby door came the fitfulclicking of some machine, and Peace could see a second girl seated at atable pounding a typewriter, while another man hurried to and fro from arow of shelves to a big iron box against the wall. None of them, however, paid any attention to their anxious little visitors, and Peace, after waiting impatiently until she feared Mrs. Grinnell would be backlooking for them, stepped across the polished floor to the gray men inthe corner, shook the nearest one by the sleeve, and demanded, "Are youSwift or Smart, or; both--I mean neither?"

"Now, Mr. Campbell, " the man was just saying, but at this interruptionhe broke off abruptly, glared at the small intruder and asked in quick, sharp tones, "What do you want?"

"Some money, " stammered Peace, much startled by his nervous, half-irritated manner. 

"Money! Well, I am afraid you have come to the wrong place, " he saiddecisively, mistaking the children for beggars. 

"Why, I thought--" began Peace, with quivering lips. 

"Will a quarter be enough?" interrupted the other gray man, looking downinto the troubled face with keen, kindly, gray eyes, which seemedstrangely familiar to the child. 

"Now, Campbell!" expostulated the tall, nervous man. "They come here inswarms some days. You wouldn't be so ready with your cash if you had todeal with the number we do. "

Without reply, the man called Campbell drew a silver coin from hispocket and extended it toward trembling Peace, but she shook her head, gulping out, "It will take heaps more than that. Old Skinflint has gotthe _mordige_ on our farm and won't give it up. I want money enough tobuy it back, so's we can still go on living there. "

"Oh!" shouted the sharp-voiced man, while Mr. Campbell pocketed hissilver again. "So you thought you would come here to get the money, didyou?"

"Mr. Hardman said you let people borrow money from you, " whispered Peacemiserably, wishing she had never left her seat in the carriage. "He toldme that when I poisoned half our hens, but Mrs. Grinnell said youdidn't bother with such little things; and anyway, I have bought eightnew ones already, so we don't need hens so much as we do that _mordige_. Is your name Mr. Swift?"

"No, I am the other fellow--Smart. "

"Hm, I thought it would be like that. "

"Like what?"

"Why, that your names wouldn't fit. I told Mrs. Grinnell I bet Mr. Smartwould be stupider than a stump and Mr. Swift would be slower than slow. Is that bald-headed man Mr. Swift?"

For an instant the two men in the corner stared at her in sheeramazement, and then both burst into a great roar of laughter, whichbrought the whole office force to their feet. "Say, Swift, come meetthis young mortgage raiser, " called the nervous partner. "If you everget conceited, just interview a child. "

The bald-headed man rose ponderously and joined the group, studyingevery feature of the children, as he demanded, in his most business-liketone, "What is your name?"

"Peace Greenfield. "

"Where do you live?"

"Almost at Parker. "

"Almost?"

"Well, we have a farm and Parker isn't big enough to hold farms. It's anice place, though. "

"How did you get here?"

"Mrs. Grinnell brought us in her wagon. "

"Who is she?"

"The lady what lives on the farm right back of ours. "

"Did she tell you to come and see us?"

"Oh, no! She said not to, but she doesn't know anything about our_mordige_, so while she was in the store we hustled over after themoney. "

"Who did send you?"

"Why, nobody. We came all by ourselves. "

"Hm, I thought so. Is this _mordige_ money to buy candy and dolls with?"

"No, it ain't!" snapped Peace, thinking he was trying to tease her. "It's to keep old Skinflint from taking our farm away, so that we willhave to live around at different places. "

"Where are your father and mother?"

"The angels have got 'em. "

"Oh! Then you are orphans. Who takes care of you?"

"We all of us take care of ourselves, but Gail is the play mother. "

"How many are there in your family?"

"Seven with Towzer. He's a dog. "

They questioned her until the whole pitiful story was told, and thenstood silently lost in thought, while Peace fidgeted impatiently, watching Old Gray across the street, expecting any minute to see Mrs. Grinnell put in appearance. 

Finally Mr. Swift said, jestingly, "What security have you to offer?"

"Sickerity?" repeated Peace, wonderingly. 

"Yes, when we loan money we have to have some security from the party. They must own some property or something of value to give us so if themoney isn't paid back we won't lose anything. "

Peace pondered deeply, then drew off a small, worn, gold ring which hadlost its "set, " and laid it in the man's hand, saying, "That's all theprop'ty I've got except eight hens which I gave Gail for those Ipoisoned. It had a ruby in it once, but the old rooster picked it outand et it. I used to have two bunnies, too, but last Christmas theGerman kids ate Winkum and Blinkum all up. "

Mr. Swift smiled, but shook his head gravely, as he returned the ring. "I am afraid that won't be enough, Miss Greenfield, " he began, when Mr. Smart cut him short, "What is the use of fooling any longer, Swift? Sheprobably knows as much about such matters as your grandbaby. A kid herage knows a lot about business. Give her a nickel and send her packing. "

The genial Mr. Swift led the disappointed duet to the door and dismissedthem with the words, "I am sorry, but we deal only with grown-up men andwomen. Call again when you are twenty-one. "

As the door closed behind them, however, the other tall, gray man, whohad been a silent spectator of the scene, spoke reprovingly, "I thinkshe has told you the truth, Smart. She is one of the youngsters I wasjust telling you about. I was afraid she would recognize me, butevidently she did not. I certainly shall investigate, for I am muchinterested. They have my wife and me by the heartstrings already andsome of these days you may hear that a whole family has been adopted bythe erratic Campbells. They are the children of that Pendennis ministerwho fought such a splendid fight in the Marble Avenue Church some yearsback, until he was forced to retire on account of his health. Well, Imust be going. Good-day!" He stepped outside the office, and looked upand down the street for a glimpse of the children, but they were nowherein sight; so he hailed a passing car, and was whirled rapidly awaythrough the busy city. 

In the meantime, poor, disappointed Peace had jerked Allee back acrossthe street, helped her into the buggy and had just got nicely settledwhen Mrs. Grinnell bustled out of Darnell's Department Store, ready forthe homeward journey. She eyed the sober faces keenly for an instant, undecided whether the frowns were due to impatience at her long absence, or because of some childish quarrel, but soon forgot all about thematter in planning how she should make up her new print dress, so thereturn trip was made in absolute silence. 

But Peace had by no means given up hope in the matter of the mortgageand, feeling better after the warm dinner had been eaten, she wanderedaway to the barn to hatch some other impossible plan. Finding Hope inthe loft sorting out rubbish to be burned, she threw herself on an oldbench behind the building, where the bright sunlight shone invitingly, and here she was soon so completely wrapped up in her own thoughts thatshe did not hear the sound of approaching steps, and was startled when afirm hand caught her by the shoulder and a merry voice demanded, "Why sopensive, little maid? That face would scare the tramps away. "

"Oh, Mr. Strong, " she cried, catching his hand and pulling him downbeside her, "we are in the worst fix you ever heard. I knocked oldSkinflint's bull's horn off pawing red rags in the raspberry patch soFaith could have some sour jelly for her jelly rolls, and to pay me forthat he won't give us back our _mordige_. Gail cried and Faith cried andwe all cried. In a month we must break up this house and go to live withdifferent people unless we can get some money somewhere. I tried thismorning to borrow some in Martindale, but they wouldn't believe weneeded it. I know we do, 'cause Gail said so the night I hid in thecloset when she didn't know I was there. "

She paused for breath, and Mr. Strong said cheerily, "Yes, dear, I knowall about it. Gail told me, but I think maybe everything is coming outall right in the end. Don't you fret! But if I were you, I wouldn't tryany more to borrow the money--"

"How are we to get it, then? Gail doesn't know of anybody. "

"Gail was meant for a little mother instead of a business woman. Nowthat she has asked some of us older folks for advice, I think we canmanage matters beautifully. Gail is just a girl herself, you know. Sheunderstands the situation a little better now, but the burden is tooheavy for her young shoulders. We must make it lighter, lots lighter. She wants to go to college, and Faith wants music lessons, and Hopeought to study drawing, and what would you like to study?"

"Pigs! I want a pig farm, " was the unexpected answer. "Ain't baby pigsthe dearest things you ever saw?"

His shout of derision stopped her, and she sat twisting her brown handsin hurt and embarrassed silence. 

Her mournful attitude brought the young preacher to his senses, and hepinched her cheek playfully, saying, "Oh, what a doleful face! See if wecan't make it smile a little. No? Why, Peace, this is the way it looks. Supposing it should freeze that way. " He drew his face down into acomically mournful grimace, and Peace laughed outright. "I heard thatyou won the prize at Annette's party for making the worst looking face, "he continued, "but I didn't suppose it was as bad as that. "

"That isn't half bad, " cried Peace scornfully. "Why, I can make theugliest faces you ever saw. "

"Bet you can't!"

"Bet I can!"

"Try it!"

Peace promptly bulged out her eyes, turned up her nose, and drew downher mouth in a hideous grimace, following it up with other horribledistortions; and then exclaimed, "How do you like that?"

"I can do as well myself, " said the preacher. 

"I don't b'lieve it! Let's see you do it!"

Mr. Strong laid aside his hat, rumpled up his shining black hair, andwent through some fearful contortions of face, which almost paralyzedPeace for the moment. Then she screamed her delight, hopping about onone foot, and shouting boisterously, "You win, you win, Mr. Strong! If Ican ever make faces like those, I shall be perfectly happy. Do yous'pose I am young enough to learn? It must have taken you all your lifeto do it so beautifully. Will you teach me how?"

On the other side of the fence something moved in the thick brush, andthere was a sound of a man's deep chuckle, but the two contestants inthe art of making faces were too much occupied to notice anything oftheir surroundings, and the unknown watcher enjoyed this novelentertainment for some moments. 

At length the preacher said, "Well, Peace, I came over to see Gail. Where can I find her?"

"In the kitchen, most likely. Come along; I will hunt her up. "

The two strolled off toward the house, and a crouching figure in thehazel thicket followed them until they entered the kitchen door, when itdropped flat on the ground again and remained there alert and listeningduring the conference in the little brown house. 

When at last, as dusk was falling, the minister strode down the path tothe gate, a shabby, gray-haired man emerged from the shadows along theroadside and hurried after him. Hearing footsteps so close by, the youngman halted, expecting to see some of his parishioners or acquaintancesof the village trying to overtake him, and was naturally somewhatstartled when accosted by a stranger. 

"I beg your pardon, " said Mr. Strong. "I thought it was someone whowanted me. "

"It is, " replied the shabby man. "I take it that you are pastor of theParker Church, --Mr. Strong, I believe?"

"Yes, sir, " answered the preacher, still a little bewildered. 

"My name is Donald Campbell--"

"President Campbell of the University?" gasped Mr. Strong in surprise, involuntarily looking down at the stranger's threadbare clothes. 

"As you prefer. Oh, I am in disguise! I will make explanations as wewalk along if you can give me a few moments of your time. I should liketo interview you in regard to our late Brother Peter Greenfield'sfamily. "

CHAPTER XXI

SURPRISES

"Why, Gail, what are you doing?" asked Faith one cold, dull Novemberday, as she hurried into the kitchen from her village trip, and foundthe older sister picking two plump hens. 

"Can't you see?" smiled the girl, glancing up from her task with anexcited, happy sparkle in her eyes. 

"Yes, I can see, but what is the occasion? Has Peace made another raidon the hen-house with poison or rat-traps? I shouldn't suppose we couldafford chicken unless by accident. Thanksgiving is more than two weeksoff. "

"What day is tomorrow? Am I the only one who remembers?"

"November tenth--your birthday! Oh, Gail, it had slipped my mind for theminute! No wonder you are getting up a celebration if everyone forgetslike that. "

"Oh, it isn't on account of the birthday, Faith; that just happened. It's the mortgage--"

"Of course, I knew it was due soon, but the relief at being able to getthe money made me overlook the exact date, I guess. So that is the causeof your excitement!"

"Partly, and then we are to have company for dinner, too. "

"Who?" demanded Faith, again surprised. 

"Mr. And Mrs. Strong and Glen and Mrs. Grinnell. "

"What in the world will we do with them all? Eight is a tight fit forour dining-room. "

"It will crowd us a little, but I have it all planned nicely. Glen mustsit in his daddy's lap--he often does at home when they have company andhaven't room at the table for his high-chair--and of course I will waiton the people, so there will be room for all. "

"Of course you _won't_ wait on the people! What waiting there is toattend to I shall look after. You are mistress of this house. Oh, Ican't help hugging myself every other minute to think Mr. Strong wasable to get the money for the mortgage and we won't have to leave thisdear little brown house after all. "

"Do you care so much?" asked Gail, with such a curious wistfulness inher voice that Faith stopped her ecstatic prancing to study the thin, flushed face. 

"I should say I do!" she exclaimed emphatically. "Someway, in these lastsix months it has grown ever so much dearer than I ever dreamed itcould. I used to think I hated farm life, and it fretted me because wecouldn't live in Pendennis or Martindale, and have things like otherfolks. I did want a piano so much, instead of a worn-out, wheezy oldorgan. "

"Wouldn't you still like all that?" questioned the older girl, keepingher eyes fixed on the half-picked fowl in her lap, as if afraid ofbetraying some delightful secret. 

"Oh, yes, indeed! But I gave up thinking about such things a long timeago. The farm is all we have, and there is the mortgage to pay on that;so I just shut up my high-falutin notions, as Mrs. Grinnell calls them, and mean to be happy doing my part in the home. I have wasted too muchtime already. "

"You have done your part splendidly, " cried Gail with brimming eyes, letting the chicken slip unnoticed from her hands as she threw one armaround Faith's waist; "and now that--" She bit her tongue just in timeto keep the wonderful secret from tumbling off, and flushed furiously. 

"And now that what?" questioned the other girl, without the faintesttrace of suspicion in her voice. 

"Now that this hard year is over, we are going to do a littlecelebrating even if we can't afford it, " answered Gail, thinkingrapidly. "Will you make a caramel cake for our dinner? Mrs. Grinnell isso fond of it, and I know it will hit the right spot with the minister. It was his suggestion that he tell--" Again she stopped in confusion. 

"About the mortgage money, " Faith finished. "Well, he certainly hasearned the right. We have a lot to thank him for. Do you know who isloaning the money, or is that still a secret from you, too?"

"No, Mr. Strong told me, but he wants the privilege of telling the restof you, so I promised to keep still. "

"Oh!" There was a long pause, during which both girls busied themselveswith the chickens; and then Faith ventured the question, "Is it JudgeAbbott?" Gail smilingly shook her head. "Nor Dr. Bainbridge?" Again thebrown head shook. "Then it is Mrs. Grinnell. I thought of her in thefirst place--"

"You are wrong again. All the money she has is tied up in her farm andin the house in Martindale. "

"Is it anyone in town?"

"No. "

Faith was plainly puzzled. "Man or woman?"

"Both, " answered Gail after a slight hesitation. 

"Do I know them?"

"About as well as I do. "

"Where do they live?"

"In Martindale. "

"Who can it be?" pondered the girl. 

"You might guess all night and never get it right, " laughed Gail. "Youbetter give it up. Tomorrow is time enough for little girls to know. "

"For little girls to know what?" demanded Peace, as the noisy quartetteburst breathlessly in from school. 

"What we are to have for dinner tomorrow night, " answered Gail, glancingwarningly at Faith. 

"Tomorrow night? We have dinner at noon. "

"Tomorrow we don't. We'll have lunch at noon and dinner in the evening. "

"Bet there's comp'ny coming!" shouted the smaller girls. 

"Who?" asked Hope, almost as much excited. 

"The minister and his family, and Mrs. Grinnell. "

"What for?" questioned Cherry, for company was rare at the little brownhouse. 

"Why, to eat up those chickens, of course, " answered Peace. "Will therebe enough to go around? Hadn't I better hack the head off from another?"

"Don't you fret! Mike weighed the hens after he killed them, and one isa seven-pounder, and the other weighs eight. That surely ought to beenough to satisfy your appetites. "

"Well, I bony a drumstick! There'll be four this time. "

"Yes, but suppose we have to wait, " suggested Cherry. "The others mayeat them all up. "

"Oh, Gail, must we wait?" cried Peace in alarm, suddenly remembering howtiny the dining-room was. 

"No, dear, there will be room for all, " answered the mother-sister. "ButI shall expect all of you to be little ladies and not quarrel overdrumsticks or wishbones. One's guests must always be served first, youknow. "

"Isn't it too bad, " sighed the child pensively, "that we can't be ourown guests sometimes and have just the piece we want?"

"You ought to be thankful to have any part of it, " Faith spoke up. "Ifcompany wasn't coming, we shouldn't have killed the hens. "

"I _am_ as thankful as I can be, " answered Peace, brightening visibly. "Cherry, come help me scour the silver. I forgot it last night, and ifcomp'ny is coming, we want everything fine. Besides, the time goesfaster when you're busy, and already I can hardly wait for tomorrownight to come. Seems 's if it never would get here with those roastedhens. "

But in due time the eventful night arrived, and with it the selectcompany who were to join in the little celebration. With eager, shiningeyes, Peace ushered in the guests, who chanced to come all together, andas she relieved them of their wraps and led them into the shabby parlor, she chattered excitedly. 

"You don't like drumsticks the best, do you, Mr. Strong? And neitherdoes Mrs. Grinnell. I heard her say so lots of times. She likes thewings. I want something that ain't so skinny. That's why I always choosedrumsticks. There are four in this affair--four drumsticks, I mean. Youdidn't think I meant comp'ny, did you? Each hen had two legs, you know;but there are nine people to eat, counting Glen, though, of course, heis too little for such things yet; and the drumsticks won't anywherenear go around, s'posing every one of you should want one. When we haveonly one hen, Cherry and Allee and me always fight over who is to havethe drumsticks. Last time Gail settled it by eating one herself, andgiving the other to Hope. That won't happen today, though, 'cause thereis company. "

"Aren't you giving away family secrets?" interrupted Mrs. Grinnell, trying to look severe. 

"Oh, no! You already know about it, and the minister ain't s'prised atanything. I just thought I'd speak about it, 'cause I've bonied onedrumstick myself, if someone else doesn't eat them all up first. Andsay, folks, if any of you get a wishbone in your meat, will you save itfor me? Cherry's making a c'lection and has six already. I haven't butthe one I asked Mr. Hartman for, and they make the cutest penwipers forChristmas. Supper--dinner is 'most ready, I guess. Gail made _lots_ ofstuffing--dressing, I mean. And Faith's cake is just fine, and thecustard pies are the beautifulest she ever made. They are all extra, 'cause you are here. We don't often get such nice things to eat, butthis is a special 'casion. When supper is over the rest of the girlswill help me do the talking, but now they are every one busy exceptAllee and me, and Allee's getting dressed. There's someone at the door. I hope it ain't more comp'ny. S'posing it is, wouldn't that be the worstluck, --the very night we have roast chicken!"

Before Peace could reach the door to see who was there, however, Mr. Strong swung it wide open, and reaching out into the dusk, drew in asweet-faced, motherly, old lady with silvery hair, and the familiartall, gray man of the broker's office, exclaiming in his hearty, boyishfashion, "Mrs. Campbell, Doctor, I am so glad you have come! I wasbeginning to fear you had missed the place. "

"Missed the place? Now, Brother Strong, I am insulted, --after the numberof times I have been here! Good evening, ladies. Mother, I want you tomeet Mrs. Strong and Mrs. Grinnell. Hello, Peace, where is--"

"Have you come for dinner?" demanded that young lady, with frigiddignity, wondering where she had seen that kindly face before, andsecretly wishing they had delayed their coming until a more convenienttime. 

"Yes, I have, " he answered decidedly, "and I am as hungry as a bear!"

"Oh, dear, " thought Peace, "there goes a drumstick! Hungry folks alwayswant them. " But though her face lengthened, she did not voice suchsentiments, and started for the kitchen, saying, "I must tell Gail, so'sshe'll set you a plate for sup--dinner. Is that lady going to stay?"

"That lady is my wife. If you have any fault to find with us fordropping in unannounced, just scrap it out with Brother Strong, for heinvited us. "

"_I'm_ not finding fault, " Peace answered haughtily, turning once moretoward the door, "but there's no telling what Faith will do. I betterwarn them now. "

"And at the same time you might tell Abigail that someone in the parlorwants to see her, " laughed the genial voice. 

Peace disappeared through the door like a flash, and they heard hershrill voice call, "Oh, Gail, Faith, there are some folks here forsupper what weren't invited. Do you s'pose there is hen enough now? And, oh, yes, he wants to see you right away, Gail!"

The oldest sister paused in the act of lifting the beautifully brownedbirds from their nest of dressing, dropped the carving set, shoved thepan back into the oven, and with flushed cheeks and glowing eyes, hurried for the parlor with such a buoyant step that the other sistersfollowed wonderingly. She paused an instant in the doorway, smiled atthe little company within, and then straight to the white-haired ladyshe went, and kissed her, saying happily, "I have never seen you before, Mrs. Campbell, but I shall love you dearly. "

"Not that, Gail, " tenderly answered the stranger, holding the tall girlclose. "Call me Grandma. "

"And me Grandpa, " added the gray man, drawing Gail out of the woman'sarms and kissing her blushing cheek. 

"Now she'll give him a drumstick sure, " sighed Peace; "and s'posing heshould ask for four!"

"This is Faith, the baker and my right-hand man, " she heard Gail saying, "and Hope, our sunbeam; Charity, the scholar; and Peace, the--"

"Mischief-maker, heart captivator, and worth her weight in gold, "finished the familiar voice which Peace could not quite place in hermemory. "Kiss me!"

Passively she allowed him to embrace her as he had greeted the othersisters, and then squirming out of his arms, she backed into a corner, where she frowned impartially on the excited group, all talking at once, while she tried to puzzle out how this man could be "Grandpa" when allher own relatives had long since been carried away by the angels. 

"I'll bet he is a make-believe, " she told herself; "and he's got themall fooled proper. Maybe he wants the farm, seeing old Skinflint didn'tget it. I am going to ask Mrs. Grinnell. She had sense enough to runwhen the kissing began. "

Peace slipped noiselessly through the nearby door, and fled to thekitchen, where their kind neighbor was busy dishing up the forgottendinner, demanding, "Is he really a grandpa we didn't know anythingabout, or is he a make-believe _frog_?"

"Make-believe frog!" echoed matter-of-fact Mrs. Grinnell. "Do you meanfraud? Well, he certainly ain't a fraud, Peace Greenfield! He's a bigman. Everyone in the state knows him, pretty near. He is Dr. Campbell ofthe University. 'Tisn't every little girl that can have anadopted--Peace, I am afraid you and Cherry will have to wait until therest are through eating. "

"That's where you are mistaken, " returned Peace with energy. "Gail saidonly last night that there was room for all. "

"But she wasn't expecting the Campbells for supper. "

"Oh, dear, if that ain't always the way! Gail, must I wait?"

Gail had just hurriedly entered the kitchen, fearful lest the forgottendinner was spoiled, but seeing the great bowl of gravy on the table, andMrs. Grinnell busy mashing the potatoes, she sighed in relief andstopped to answer, "I am afraid you must, dear. "

"After you said we wouldn't have to?"

"I didn't look for Grandpa and Grandma Campbell until later, Peace. Wecan't ask _them_ to wait. "

"Faith and Hope might for once. They _never_ have to!"

"Faith is to serve dinner, and Hope is needed at the table. "

"Which I s'pose means Cherry and me ain't needed, " cried thedisappointed child. 

"Peace! I am ashamed of such a little pig. "

"It ain't piggishness, Gail. I don't want a whole hen, I want just adrumstick, " protested Peace, with two real tears in her eyes. 

"Oh, dear, now we are in for a scene, " sighed the older girl, anxious toavert the storm. "Now be reasonable, Peace. If you will wait like a goodlittle girl, you shall have a drumstick. Look at Cherry, --she doesn'tmake a fuss at all. You will be sorry by and by if you cry and get youreyes all red. "

"Is there to be a s'prise?" asked Peace in animated curiosity. 

"Yes, _such_ a splendid one!"

"I'm not going to cry, Gail. Those two tears just got loose 'fore I knewit. I will stay in the parlor with Cherry all right, but don't take toolong a time eating dinner, and _don't_ forget my drumstick. "

With this parting warning she flew back into the front room andannounced, "Dinner is ready, folkses! Faith, tell them where to sit; andsay, you all better eat fast, 'cause Gail says there is a big s'prisecoming. "

Slamming the door behind them as they filed out into the dining-room, she sat down in the nearest chair and faced Cherry with a droll look ofresignation, saying, "Well, Charity Greenfield, how do you like beingone of the children and having to wait every time we have comp'ny? WhenI have a family of my own, I'll make the visitors do the waiting. "

"I don't mind it much, " answered Cherry, serenely. "There is a heap ofvictuals cooked. Mrs. Grinnell said she guessed we must have beenexpecting a regiment. "

Peace sniffed the air hungrily, rose with deliberation from the rocker, tiptoed to the door, opened it a crack and peeked out at the merrydiners. Then she let go of the knob with a jerk, wheeled toward Cherryand whispered, "Just as I 'xpected! That man _has_ got a drumstick andhe just gave Allee one. He's stuffing her for all he's worth. Firstthing we know, she will be sick. "

"Yes, and you banged that door, too, so they must have heard you, " saidCherry indignantly. 

"Maybe 'twill hurry them up. I don't see _how_ I can wait. "

"Get a book and read. Then the time will seem shorter. "

Peace rocked idly back and forth a few turns, patching her companion inmisery, who seemed so absorbed in her story that even the thoughts of nodinner did not disturb her; then she stalked over to the batteredbookcase, drew out a big, green-covered book which evidently had beenoften read, for the binding was in rags, and sat down on the rug todigest its contents. 

"'Bright was the summer of 1296. The war which had desolated Scotlandwas then at an end, '" read Peace slowly, spelling out the long, unfamiliar words and finding it dry reading. She turned the yellowedpages rapidly in search of pictures, but found none. She skipped severallines and began again to read, "'But while the courts of Edward, or ofhis representatives, were crowded--' oh, dear, what does it mean? Thereain't a mite of sense in using such long words. Cherry, what is thisbook about?"

"'Scottish Chiefs?'" said the sister, looking up indifferently. "I don'tknow. Ask Hope. She had to read it last year when they studied Englishhistory. "

"I thought maybe 'twas about Indians. I didn't know other things werecalled chiefs. My, I can smell dinner awfully plain! They've been at itlong enough to have finished, seems to me. I'm going to peek again. "

"You better not let that door slam, " warned Cherry, "or Gail will begetting after you. "

"I don't intend to. It slipped the other time. There goes anotherdrumstick!" she wailed dismally, forgetting to speak in whispers; andthe amazed guests beheld a flushed, distressed face popped through thewide crack of the door, as rebellious Peace called in bitterindignation, "Remember, all the family haven't had dinner yet, andchickens don't grow on every bush!"

"Peace!" gasped poor, mortified Gail. 

"Ha-ha-ha!" roared the minister, and President Campbell called after thelittle figure which had vanished behind the closed door once more, "Thatis right, Peace! You needn't stay in there another minute. Here isplenty of room for you and Cherry in my lap. "

The only answer was the sound of a choking sob from the adjoining room, and the college president started to his feet with remorse in his heart, pleading, "Let me get her! It's too bad to shut them off there to waitfor us older folks to eat dinner. I know from experience. "

But Gail stopped him, saying firmly, "No, it was very naughty of her todo that, and she can't have any dinner at all now until she hasapologized. "

"You are hard on her. "

"She must remember her manners. I resign my authority to you and Grandmain a few hours, " she answered laughingly, "but until then she must mindme. "

"_Please_ let me bring them out here with us, anyway, " he urged. "Shewill apologize; and around the table is a good place for the big's'prise' she is expecting. "

"Very well, " she answered reluctantly. 

Excusing himself to the little dinner party, he disappeared behind theparlor door, whispered a few words to the conscience-stricken culprit inthe corner, and in a surprisingly short time reappeared with two smilinglittle girls. 

Peace's eyes were red, and one lone tear stood on the rosy cheek, butshe marched up to the table, bowed, and said with some embarrassment, but in all sincerity, "Ladies and gentlemen, I've already told Grandpa, and he said it was all right--I apologize. I s'pose you are hungry, sameas I, and that's what has kept you busy eating for so long. I shouldn'thave hollered at you from the door like I did, but if you wanted thatdrumstick as bad as I do, you'd have hollered, too. Now can I have mydinner? Cherry, you sit in half of Allee's chair. Faith, Hope will giveyou a piece of her place, and I am to have half of Grandpa's. That's allhis plan, so come along, Faith. Please pass me my drumstick. You'vealready blessed it, haven't you?"

"Peace!"

"Now, Gail, please don't scold! This is the last day in the little brownhouse, you know--"

"What!" burst forth, a chorus of dismayed voices. 

"Ain't that _mordige_ settled yet?" demanded Peace. 

"Oh, yes. I had a long talk with Mr. Strong, and we settled thatquestion forever and all time, I hope. Nevertheless, you aren't going tostay here any longer. "

A hush fell over the five younger girls, though Gail was smiling happilywith the rest of the little company, and even Baby Glen seemed toappreciate the situation, and cooed gleefully, as he pounded the tablewith his spoon. 

"It's just as I 'xpected, " Peace blurted out at length. "I said I betyou wanted the farm yourself, seeing that old Skin--Mr. Skinflint didn'tget it. "

He threw back his head and laughed loud and long; then the old facesobered, and he said, "No, it isn't that, Peace. We--Grandma and I--wantyou to come and live with us. Gail says yes. What is your answer?"

"All of us?" whispered Hope in awestruck tones, remembering with freshfear the midnight conference of a few weeks before. 

"All of you!"

"Gail, too?"

"Yes, indeed!"

"Haven't you any children yourself?" asked Allee, not exactlyunderstanding the drift of remarks. 

"No, dear. The angels came and took away our two little girlies beforethey were as big as you are. "

"But six is an awful many to raise at once, " sighed Peace. "Do you thinkyou can do it?"

"I will try if you will come. "

"Do you live in Martindale?"

"Yes. "

"Is your house big enough?"

"It has ten big rooms and an attic. Won't that do?"

"Y--es. Do you lick?"

"Do I lick?" he echoed in surprise. 

"When we are bad, you know. "

"Oh! Well, I can, but I don't very often. I am pretty easy to get alongwith; but folks have to mind. I am fond of _good_ children. "

"I'm _usually_ good. I have been bad today, but I am ever so sorry now. I always am when it's too late to mend matters. But I don't want you tothink I am always such a pig and have to 'pologize for my dinner. Yes, I'll come to live with you, and of course the others will. Mrs. Grinnellsays you are an awfully nice man. "

"I am sure I thank Mrs. Grinnell, " he answered with twinkling eyes, bowing gravely to the embarrassed lady across the table. 

"But what I can't see is how you came to pick us out to take home withyou, --_Mr. Tramp!_" She started to her feet in astonishment, havingsuddenly fitted the familiar face into its place in her memory. 

"At your service, ma'am. "

"Ain't you my tramp?"

"Yes. "

"Then you are just fooling about our going to live with, you. "

"Not at all. I mean every word of it. Ask Grandma, ask Brother Strong, ask Gail, any of them. "

"But what about the tramp?" she half whispered, still too dazed tounderstand. 

"That is rather a long story, " he smiled, stroking the tight ringlets ofbrown on one side of him, and the bright, golden curls on the other. "Ayear ago last spring I tried to be ill--play sick, you know; and thedoctor told me a vacation of tramping was what I needed to put me intune again. Having some pet theories in regard to the tramp problem ofthis country, I decided to take his words literally, so I turned trampmyself--just for a little time, you see. That is how you saw me first. Itold my wife it was a case of love at first sight, and I became so muchinterested in this brave little family that I have kept watch eversince. 

"Here was a family without any father and mother, and there were afather and mother without any family. You needed the one and we neededthe other. But at first the way didn't seem clear. I was given tounderstand that you didn't want to be adopted, and as I found that Gailwas legally old enough to take care of the family, I was just on thepoint of preparing to play guardian angel instead of grandfather, when Ichanced upon some old church records telling about your owngrandfather's death. It gave a brief account of his life, and I wasastonished to find that I knew him well, --in fact, as my big brother. "

"Tell us about it, " pleaded Hope, as he paused reminiscently. 

"When I was a little shaver my father was a seaman, captain of a ship;but his whole fortune consisted of his vessel, his wife and son. Motherand I often used to go with him on his trips, but for some reason heleft me at home the last time he set sail, and he never came back. NewOrleans was his port. Yellow fever broke out while he was there, and sofar as I have been able to find out, every soul of his crew died of it. I had been left with a neighbor who had her hands full looking after herown children; so, when word came that my parents were both dead, shesent for the town officers, and told them I must go to the poor-farm. Iwas only about the size of Allee, here, but I knew that the poor-farmwas a place much dreaded, and rather than be taken there, I tried to runaway. Your grandfather found me. He was one of our nearest neighbors andknew me well, so when I sobbed out the whole terrible story into hissympathetic ears, he adopted me on the spot. He wasn't more than adozen years old himself, but he had a heart big enough to take in thewhole world, and when he had coaxed me home with him and told his motherabout my misfortune, I knew I was safe. They would never send me awayagain. So Hiram Allen became my big brother, and the Allen home was minefor ten long years. Then an uncle of mine whom everyone had thought wasdead put in appearance and took me to sea on a long voyage which coveredthe greater part of four years. When I returned, Mother and Father Allenwere dead and the younger fry had gone West, --no one seemed to knowwhere. Then and there I completely lost sight of them, and it was onlyby chance that I--"

"Grandpa's name wasn't Hi Allen, " mused Faith aloud, with a puzzled lookin her eyes. "It was Greenfield, just like ours. "

"Yes; that is one reason, I suppose, why I never found my big brother ofmy boyhood days. You see, he had a stepfather. His own parent wasdrowned at sea when he was a tiny baby, and his mother married again; sohe was known all over the place as Hi Allen instead of Hi Greenfield, which was his real name. When he grew to manhood and entered theministry he decided to take his own name. But, though I dimly rememberedhaving heard people say that Mr. Allen wasn't Hi's own father, I neverheard his real name spoken, to my knowledge, and I never once thoughtof the possibility of his assuming it in place of his stepfather's. 

"When I discovered your grandfather's identity only a few days ago, theway seemed suddenly open to me. Hi Allen had shared his home with mewhen I was an orphan; I would share my home with his littlegranddaughters, alone in the world and in trouble, --for by this time Ihad heard about the mortgage and the battle being fought in the littlebrown house to keep the family together. Mothering this big brood is toogreat a task for Gail. She needs mothering herself. We want to adoptyou, mother and I. Will you let us; for the sake of the dear grandfatherwho did so much for me?"

His face was so full of yearning tenderness that tears came to the eyesof the older members of the queer little party, and even the childrenhad to swallow hard. 

"I have talked the matter over with Gail, and she agrees if the rest ofyou will consent. I am not a millionaire, but we are pretty well fixedin a material way and can give you a great many pleasures and advantagesthat the little town of Parker can never offer. There are fine schoolsin the city, and college for Gail. We have a piano and violin and allsorts of music, a horse and buggy, a big barn, and a splendid yard in anice locality, with plenty of room for tennis or any other kind ofgymnastics. Maybe some day there will be an automobile--"

"I don't care about pianos and nautomobiles, " interrupted Peace. "It'sthe kind of people you are that I am thinking about. Mrs. Grinnell saysyou're the president of a big college and everyone knows you. If that'sso, you ought to be pretty nice, I sh'd think. _I_ like you, anyhow, andI b'lieve you'll like us, too. But I'm an awful case, even when I don'tmean to be. Maybe you would rather--didn't I--weren't you--I saw you inSwift & Smart's store!"

"Yes, my lady! Twice in the city I have seen you and Allee, and bothtimes I thought surely you knew me, but I don't believe you did. "

"No, I didn't. I 'member now. It was you who gave us that gold moneywhen we were selling flowers. But you look different with new clothes onand a clean face. "

"Why, you little rascal! Wasn't my face clean when I came here to getsomething to eat?"

"It might have been, but it was prickly looking with the mustache allover your chin, and I like you lots better this way. I almost didn'tknow you the night you got supper for us, either. "

"And the rice burned. "

"And I broke Bossy's leg and you sent us Queenie to take her place, andFaith said I was worse than Jack of the Bean Stalk, and--I bet you _are_the fellow that pinned the money to the gatepost and grain sacks! Now, aren't you?"

"I am afraid I am. "

"You told me once before that you weren't. "

"No, I didn't. I just asked you if it wouldn't be a queer kind of_tramp_ who could do such a thing. Isn't that what I said?"

"Y--es, " she finally acknowledged. Then the puzzled frown in herforehead smoothed itself away and she wheeled toward the oldest sisterwith the triumphant shout, "There, Gail, didn't I tell you he was aprince in disgus--disguise? Now ain't you sorry you didn't spend themoney? She has got it all saved away yet. I must kiss you for that, Grandpa, even if it didn't do us any good. " She threw her arms, drumstick and all, about his neck and gave him a greasy smack, immediately rubbing her lips with the back of one hand. 

"Aha! That's no fair, " he protested. "You rubbed that off. "

"No, I didn't. I just rubbed it in. Thank you, I don't care for any pietonight. Somehow this drumstick filled me up full. I can't eat a bitemore. Have you been waiting all this time for me? Well, let's go backinto the parlor then, and do the rest of our talking. I've sat on thetip edge of nothing until I am tired. There's more space in the frontroom. "

"Do you know, Peace Greenfield, " cried Mr. Campbell, pretending to feelinsulted at her intimation that he had not given her a large enoughshare of his chair, "the first time I ever called at your house, Ifound you sitting on the gatepost, --the _gatepost_, mind you, --about sosquare, " measuring with his hands; "and just as I turned in from theroad, you began to sing, 'The Campbells are coming, oho, oho!' What kindof a reception do you call that? And tonight you weren't even going togive me any supper. "

"Oh, " she hastily assured him, "I didn't mean you by that song. I usedto think that the Campbells were little striped bugs that eat up thecucumber plants, and the very morning that you came here for breakfast Ifound two in the garden. What are you laughing at? I know better now, but I truly didn't have a notion what your name was then. You must haveknown I didn't. But I am awfully glad you came and that you kept comingeven when I was bad and made you work so hard. I am sorry, but nevermind, I am _deformed_ now. "

"Deformed, child? Where?"

"Right here in my heart! I am going to be as good as gold all the timeafter this. I think the angels must have sent you. We've always wanted afirst-class grandfather and grandmother, but we never 'xpected to get'em until we found our own inside the Gates some day. Just the same, Ispoke to God about it, and He probably had the angels hunt you up. So Ihave _deformed_ and now I'll be real good. I'm truly sorry I was such aselfish pig about wanting a drumstick tonight. I s'pose that's why thedrumstick filled me up so quick and didn't leave any room for pie. Custard is my favorite. "

"Perhaps that is the reason, " he agreed, quite as serious as she. "Wealways are happiest when we are unselfish. Now, let's forget all aboutthe badness and just remember the goodness. I have some of the mostsplendid plans for what we shall do when I have my six girls at homewith me. What beautiful times we shall have, mother!"

"How can we ever thank them?" whispered bright-eyed Gail to Mrs. Strong, under cover of the lively conversation at the other end of the table. 

"By loving them, " promptly answered the little woman, offering up aprayer of thanksgiving that the brave little orphan band had found sucha beautiful home. "They are noble people and have hungered all theirlives for just that very thing. "

"But love seems such a little thing to give for the blessings we shallenjoy from their hands. "

"Ah, my dear, that is where you are mistaken, Love is _everything_. "

THE END.