Ethel Morton's Holidays

ors with unbroken regularity, the old ladies found themselves almost every day sitting, rug-enwrapped, on Mrs. Smith's veranda or their own while the baby dozed luxuriously in h

ed, "except that he has whiskers a foot long." At first he paid no attention to the child, though the story of its escape from Belgium interested h

an unusually long call from Ayleesabet. They had sat on their veranda with her while she napped; but when she came in, fresh and wide awake,

hat he had to plunge after it. She walked around the edge of the same rug, evidently regarding it as an island to be explored, Crusoe fashion. Her explorations were thoro

and examining the hump made by the baby's round little Belgian

and made no response to the old gentle

red in beguiling tone

ans

want to climb up? That's it. Up s

r of the room on all fours

collar," cried th

light she righted herself, a bridle-rein of hair in each hand. On went the charger, his speed increasing from a walk to an a

iped his forehead with one of his forefeet, but maintained his horizontal position in order not to throw his rider. Elisabeth's equilibr

form of Mr. Clark with her slippered feet and s

seemed that apoplexy would overtake them. Thanks to their natural politeness they did not laug

me," they said. "It's awfully goo

and put on her outer garments while the late stee

. "A very intelligent child. She

plendidly," repl

t continue under

repeated the Ethels in unison.

leaving. Of course you know. I hope

ving!" exclaimed th

now anythin

is she

is she

nd Mr. Clark seemed distinctly taken

h much longer. That's what I understood him to say. I don't think I'm mistake

was an especial admirer of Gertrude Merriam's and a devout believer in h

into her coat with a speed that so disregarded all orderly

Dorothy's, and down they sat, prepared not only to amuse Elisabeth but to amu

fore the fire in the sitting room like judges on the bench. They made their accusation promptly. Gertrude

way? That Dr. Watkins said h

nderment proved

ea of going away-unless you want me to,"

bent and kissed her. "We love you dearly and we like your work

s who told Mr. Clark,

e sat s

ather to the thought,"

true?" translated Gertrud

o her brow and lost itself in the soft

ll, he's altogether too sure! It's humiliating," and she threw up her chin

ean?" Ethel Blue

miliated?" ask

ng to do?" was D

o Dorothy. "We'd better not bother h

s about it the first time they saw him except that their Aunt Louise guessed their plan and forestalled it by telling t

ands upon it of an uncommonly hard winter. The seats were all taken out of the high school hall and the big room became the scene of a Donnybrook Fair o

with one of the Directors of the R. C. S. one afternoon about the unending nee

derson promptly agreed. "Rosemont

get up than any other kind

be here so soon that it's a

verted into an Irish fair ground. Every one who had anything to do with the tables or the conduct of the bazaar was dressed in an Irish peasant costume, the girls with short, full skirts wit

r a steam-heated room," declared Helen. "I'll wear green stockings

d, to be sure, heavy shoes and long stockings, but also tight

on robbed her library of a huge green rug to place before the stationery booth over whose w

shaped like a shamrock and laden with articles carved from bog oak, a

ntly realistic, in a corner of the hall. On top Tom was ready to hold over the battleme

f Irish stew, or of cold ham and potato salad, followed by pistachio ice cream and small cakes covered with frosting of a delicate green. At one side Ethel Brown controlled the "Murphy Table" and sold huge hot baked Irish potatoes and paper

age and show what he knew about an Irish jig. Under the coaching of George Foster's sister, he and his sisters had learned it in such an incred

in go Bragh," "Kathleen Mavourneen," "The Wearing of the Green." Dorothy led the choruses, the whole U. S. C., including D

ay with the baby so that Gertrude can come to

intelligent conversation with Mrs. Smith, so eager was he to test the p

eading before the fire his heart came into h

u can go," explained Mrs. Smith.

mith's escort one startle

not going out again tonight. It's quite out of the question; please don't urge me,"

hat mean?" he inq

ught t

t know.

ink I

you t

s you have had recently about Miss

won't t

At any rate I'm not an interfer

int you've given me, but

she would be likely to meet him, bowed to him so coldly when she passed him one day going into the hou

s Gertrude was not happy, for she often looked as if she had been weeping, and certainly Dr. Watkins was wretched, for Tom and Della quite immediately reported him as bei

king anything special. The Ethels were quite right when they guessed that he accepted the invitation beca

s. The opening of a candy box disclosed a toy puppy; a toy cat was filled not with the desired candy but with popcorn. The candy was handed about in the brass coal scuttle, beautifully polished and lined with paraffin paper. Each guest

dent that it was just a part of the program to have everything topsy turvy. It was evident, too, that a raid had be

ely was not coming that he indulged in a burst of sarcasm. After a consultat

y?" he called

came in

you see the portrait of

rror that Margaret had set up on a chair. They all laughed, but it was uneasy laughter, and Tom tried to reassure his brother by cl