The Story Book Girls

Mayo

Cuthbert. They were allowed to do this on one cond

ediate rebellion in the heart of Mrs. Leighton. It was her one obstinacy that she should retain f

ghton. "I don't want my girls to drift. No man is really healthy unless he is striving after something, if it's

music," sighed Mrs. Leighton. "Girls in my

ing classes either. Classes end by making people willing to be taught, but the experiences of life make them very swift to learn. We can't have them sitting dreaming about husbands for ever. Dreams and

bly saw readily enough where she must give in, but on these occa

dull enough lives themselves. I'm sure it will

l talents were really being questioned here. Throughout the length

grew a litt

ld be your duty to take your eldest daughter into partnership at

hton sigh

little children, and myself being mother to them. Since Mabel got her hair up--already it's di

d Mr. Leighton. "The way you giv

fferent," said Mrs

," smiled M

ad had his little nose put out of joint by the first arrival of girls in the imperious person of Mabel. Mrs. Leighton h

," said he. "The only thing that can

course." Mrs. Leighton's voice dwelt in a

rtunity for making use of

on let her

servants! What

gs for me. You women are the true conservatives. If we ha

steady income and all that sort of thing," she exclaimed, "instead of rushing him into a pro

thusiasm," said her husband. "Cuthbert

find a profess

wolf from the door at least. I have an objection to any girl being obliged to work entirely for her living. Men ought to relieve them of that at least. But we must give them occ

's a wren

re," he smi

nts are sure t

e girls. Not for a long time had they been so animated. Each took her one

to water-lily shape, reposing on lettuce leaves--on

aise captu

trying thing to do--better let cook

our party?"

" said an a

t was

be known of fruit, inside and out, as she explained volubly. Mrs. Leighton's qui

gues! Nobody seemed to rise to

d she, "but I could try a day or t

snipped her lips together in rather a grim way, and it had the effect of se

icult, mummy?" she

ton airily. "After mayonn

" explained Elma. "It's that qu

s, I see that very distin

med to be no proper o

. "A trifle at ten." Mrs. Leighton looked her

hispered while the others debated about cakes, "I can find out all about trifles. Miss Gr

d on her a

most reviving," sh

cakes, and they felt that here they were on their own ground. Betty revived

ice. "This isn't a picnic we're arranging, or a school-room tea. I

gingerbread at a party tasted v

l seemed very sor

d regained h

ead," she exclaimed in

its, of course," said Jean

ls," said M

t cream cake another. W

cing," qu

m for Elma," she adde

hink sponge cake cream is the moistest, flabbiest, silliest cake I know. We're putting

" asked Mrs. Le

taken to paper and pencil. "I only hope w

," said Mrs. Leighton; "so that we find out wh

th foreboding on th

ect of the invasion, through which t

he housemaid. "My, you should have been he

t." "I stoned every one of them," she sighed. Mr. Leighton found some brown lumps in the rabbit hutches. "That's not the thing for these beas

e, John," said Mrs. Leighton

ouldn't get the kitchen for her coffee cake, because Mabs, in a neat white apron and sleeves, was ornamenting a ragged-looking structure of white icing with little da

l of walnut in it?" ask

alnut," said Mabel

d along wit

urvive this pa

was so nervous after the gingerbread fiasco that

ma; it's coming nicely. I'll

r heart on the subject of meringues. Cook said that of course it was easy for them "as had never tried" just to rush in and make meringues the first thing. The likes o

got knack, Cook?"

as marvellous that nearly all of them came fairly decently. Cook found the shapes "a bit queer,"

eam," quoth Elma happily. A

ishes, one of blanched almonds cut in long strips, another of halved cherries, one of tiny macaroon biscuits, and so on. Miss Grace set herself in a high chair, and proceedings began. Elma wondered to the end of her days what kind of a cook Miss Grace would have made if she had been paid for her work. Everything was prepared for Miss Grace, but she took an hour and a quarter to finish the trifle. She added custard in silver spoonfuls as though each one had a definite effect of its ow

the end of their days, nev

e was a magni

gh for forty people out of a fourth of what she had ordered. This put Mrs. Leighton back in

lle, Betty's great friend, and her brother Lance, a boy of fourteen, brought round various loans in the way of cups and cream and sugar "things." The table in the dining-room was laid for supper with a most dainty centre-piece decked with roses

oor. The white apron of a few days ago was smeared with little elonga

ul," she cried, "the

hton girls, quite the last straw. Just when they had begun to be con

ved a cigarett

ripping! I knew an American Johnnie who mad

s mutely. "In this at

don't meet American men for nothing, let me tell you," he said. It was fun to see

!" he said, "w

faint. "I put in t

hen he explained ca

g it. A chemical action takes place between the yoke of an egg and

he said something about yokes for

you donkey

made the m

patiently with a fork in semicircles. He was sent off with Betty and May, only to reappear later dressed out as a maid-servant. Nobody except Dr. Harry could take the mayonnais

s stood on

trifle, and nearly giving Bertha, who had primly come to attend to the door, hys

d Miss Steven are in the