Half a Dozen Girls

marked Mary's voice at th

lly to add, "She wouldn't dare do that if mamma were h

as she walked off, dressed in her state and festival suit. Then

e's a hot fire; that's one good thing," sa

ok-book, we can work

lly, let

on the wood-box. "What shall we

; "let's not have much for lunch. Your father won't be here, so we can eat up

dinner now; it's only ele

sert, if he likes them, and it takes ever so much time, I know. We must f

ng open the door and peering in. "It feels nic

r cook-books?"

ber of books and pamphlets. "We oug

ed herself of

ltry-meats-company.' Oh, where is it? 'Eggs-cake.' That sounds like it. 'Servants-puddings.' At last! 'Apple-cottage-cracker-lemon.' Here are two lemon pu

urs and then I'll read mine, an

t milk, one tablespoon butter,'" read Molly. "You get your milk hot and put in

t over the book. Th

of bread crumbs, four ounces of sugar, the juice of two lemons, the grated ri

an express

what suet is, but I don't believe we have any; and besid

Polly rummaged in store-room and pantry, and brought out the nec

from the pantry. Her face was decorated with coal-dust from the stove and

sked, "what's

nstarch," said Molly, s

need?" asked Polly,

Molly; "and the milk is al

here, to send for

age?" asked Molly, stirring the boiling milk in an excited fashio

away to the store-room, jingling her

in a moment, with a sm

arked elastic starch, instead of cornstarch, but it looks e

it with l

if we can't get anything else, we may as well use it

poured into a baking di

f relief, "that's done, all but wa

oesn't seem as if we could have used so many dis

don't mind washing dishes. You put the sugar and stuff away, while I do them. I wish I

of horror. Looking around, she saw Molly who, with th

?" she aske

then burst into another fit of merriment, as she wa

Prepared for Laund

asked Molly, struggling to regain her self

t going to have all my work wasted," said Molly decidedly, as she opened the oven door and peeped in. "It's browning just beautifully, and looks

now, Molly; we'll have lunch while that is baking, and then we can rest ti

e for dinner?" asked Molly

es and pudding," said

begin better than

ike it; the girls had made themselves presentable again after their labors, and were sunning th

er; "remember we aren't going t

p below them and pulled his soft hat forward, to keep the dazzling sun out of his ey

Molly innocently. "We were here all t

" said Alan. "I pulle

e been deaf,

h, an air of importance which would have roused Alan's suspicion

orence instead. I had to play casino with Kit all last evening, and that was all I could stand. I say, I'm going to stay to dinner over h

ce; "you can stay, I suppose, but you won'

be in a fight, by this time, and need me to make peace, so she'd better not expect me till I came. Now, honestly, aren't you glad to

you mustn't ever tell the other girls, but Mary has

s whistle was as disrespectful

er from yesterday

home, or else you can go to work with us, when it's time. I've told

ffs and folded back the bottoms of his sleeves. "Hullo! who's

rprise. "How queer! He never comes here." "Perhaps he'

er may have been the motives leading to the match, surely Mrs. Baxter could never have married her husband either for his personal beauty or for his repose of manner; for Mr. Baxter's bald head was covered with a smooth yellow wig, and his figure pr

r aunt at home?" he an

y reflected that they might b

o go to New York," she explained courteously.

Mr. Baxter, following her into the parlor

I," answered Polly, a littl

ood

ad taken that way of praising her. On the contrary,

t you said,

ou a go

ed Polly meekly; "ours

n't any honor; mine went off yesterday, and I haven't any to-day. She was a splendid girl with a great trunk full of real nice clothes, and such refined tastes, she always drank English breakfast tea. But she w

s," repl

s a prolonged pause, while Polly watched the clock a

ed Molly politely, feeling that

any colds, but I tell them that it's good enough for them, and perhaps it may te

n, launching himself into the conversati

d Mr. Bax

me. Polly broke it, for she saw that both M

Baxter's funeral procession, in fact, he had helped to bear the disconsolate widower and his children to her grave. Polly felt that further mention

answer

to being

is very

relief, "I must be going. Just tell your aunt

, Alan and Molly prudently withdrew, to laugh unseen. At length he discovered it in the

to call him bubby! I'll try it, the next time he comes. But he staye

for the fire was out

y. "And we weren't going to let

lly; "we'll give him

ough for

veries during the operation about dampers and grates and their uses. But time, always unaccommodatin

d was met by no one at the door. Polly and her mother usually

himself. "Well, I'll go out and tell Mary to g

l man, and his wife's careful housekeeping was quite to his liking. However, he reflected that, during her absence, there must and would be irregularities, and passed on to the kitchen. As he opened the door, he was met by a cloud of dense, bluish white smoke which brought the qui

are you hom

d for coughing; "it's six o'clock now. Is

drive out into the country with a fellow doctor, to pass judgment upon a critical case; he must visit a man in the hospital before his evening office hour; he was tired, hungry, and

e air here, and see

burn," said Alan. "It ju

the dampers were not shut up tight. All it needs is a little draught,-see?" An

as handily as a woman. Thanks to him, the supper proved a merry one in spite of the smoky dining-room, the meagre bill of fare, and the great white blister on the side of Alan's hand, which the lad was doing his best to keep out of the doctor's s

re to help you?" he a

r as he was

ady, I should think," an

Then, as his eyes fell on Alan's hand, he added, "That's a hard b

Alan calmly. "Grumbling about

artyr of yourself for nothing. Come into my den and let me put something on it." And after

age to keep house?" sig

of Alan's blazing fire on the hearth. Alan himself was stretched out on the rug, with his yellow head resting against the seat of t

as if mamma did much, even when we haven't any girl; an

re wonderful women. If it takes three of us to spoil one dinner, how do the

suggested Alan, ducking his head out o

nd gone and burned yo

hing, "I would turn y

much in earnest to

on. "I don't mean fancy cooking, but go

cooking schoo

ms. That's all very well, but I want to know how to do something that will help along, when we get i

up. "I don't care about getting a duc

pa comes; he'll be in at nine, and then

tion; "I may as well, for I don't believe it will rain any harder than it does now, and

haven't an idea in my head and-Is that you, papa

and Mrs. Adams wal

ang up with a glad cry. "W

he sofa, where Alan took her cloak, Molly h

he pleasure of coming back to my three children. Now come and sit down, and tell me all about it."

d Polly, sure from her mother's bri

o stay for a week or two, but I was in a hurry to come back to my baby. And that reminds me, I stopped at your house, Alan, to tell your mother I had come and that Molly w

r a week, and the fire went out, and Alan burned himself, and we nea

itting the slightest detail, while Mrs. Adams leane

n. "We've had a perfectly dreadful time, but it will teach us to apprec