At the Little Brown House

ready,

hed little figure sitting on the floor struggling with

etty, but was long since outgrown so that several inches of petticoat hung in display the whole way around the skirt, and the ruffs on the sleeves reached almost to the elbo

find that ridiculous old dress?" demanded Cherry, after a

y at her sister's criticism. "Didn't mother promise I could go to the next reception that the church had, an

sure to follow this declaration from her younger sister; but Pe

ked her abou

me ago, but it was a sure enough promi

ut

't much difference! Faith never kicks about your going, but she always tries to make me stay at home. She won't this ti

the abbreviated gown and neglecting her own preparations. "It is hardly

all worn out, and that ugly green gingham has a l

when she sees that rig? W

Faith, a tall, brown-eyed girl of about fifteen years, entered the d

the surface, but she swallowed back the lump in her throat and ca

going, and you can stay right h

play that trick on me tonight. Mother said I c

s kind of a receptio

ace, with tears of vexation streaming down over her cheeks. "You

is ol

ars ain

how to beha

'll be as g

ou on that pr

I'm going straight to

can't be bothered. Stop your

go! She said I might!" The

ing to soothe her wild rebellion with gentle caresses. "I will s

t to," declared the small rebel

tle, grieved voice, suddenly, and the shamed-faced trio wheeled

ed me when Mr. Kane went away that I could go to the next re

did,

is no place for such little girls,

voluntarily the mother smiled and the other si

on't a

eeks flushed crimson as she murmured humbly, "I am sorry, mother; but really, she

tly, with such a comical look of dismay and despair in her eyes, that the whole group burst out laughing. Peace joined in their merrim

your gre

n't mende

I mend your dress for you so you can go, will you sit perfectly st

yes, I'l

etter of it, and with a smile in her eyes, withdre

and of pink ribbon from Faith's own treasures, and the sisters were on their way to the mother's room for a good-bye kiss when a fourth girl, lookin

under the pantry window, cove

under the dishpan

ou are f

solemn answer. "Gail looked and I looked

ed Faith and Che

hed and silent during Hope's recital. "I gave him a grea

and kept him hanging around here all the morning, till we though

e's vines just as even! And the lawn is all mowed, and there ain't a sprill of grass left in the onion patch, and the rain ba

o," suggested the older girl, sarcastically. "We f

r?" asked Peace, too asto

e-enough ha

I want to see

ight have left it there by mistake and

the cake," suggested Allee, who had

the dishes if he hadn't meant it for us. His clothes had pockets in them, same as any other man's, and if he had any money, he would have kept

ed Faith, with sudden suspicion,

know? But I don't believe t

ose he was a bad man, who had done somethi

ring her conversation with the gray, old man. "He might b

for the cake. Someone may have hid it just for fun. We'

rossly. "Mrs. Wardlaw will begin to think I am lying to get out of

program," protested

said Hope. "Come on and help." And they sca

ke had disappeared together or whether some local agent was the cause of its vanishing. "If it had been a nanimal," she said, thoughtfully, "it would have knocked the dishpan off the bench and broken the plate. It must have been a

er, and into Gail's hand she t

l, examining the dingy bill with excited

anded Peace. "Well, I guess not! Bet that tramp left it. H

dest girl, smiling down at the excited group of sisters; and the

rough the summer twilight towards the little village, clasping a shining half dollar tightly in her fist. In a surprisingly short time sh

cried Gail in relief, as the p

over the farm for you,

searching for some mor

t big bag?" de

ith nuts on top. They are dandy good, and they cost a lot, but they weigh light, so you get a big bag full for fifty cents. Not many people have money enough to buy them very often, and Mrs.

ail, and with sudden gentleness she took the bulky sack from the small sist

idst. Glancing hastily about her, Faith saw one empty chair in a dim corner, and pointing it out to Peace, she said, "Sit down over there, and remember not to talk except w

o bad when the program hour came, for everyone sat down then and listened quietly to the music and speeches, but it was very lonely in the dim recess, where Peace was almost hidden from sight, and she longed to have someone to talk

minister. My, but he's got an awfully pretty wife! Wish she would smile at me like that. There come the 'freshments. Like as not they'll skip me, off here by myself. If Cherry forgets, I'll shake her good when I get

lose beside her that she nearly jumped out of her chair. Recovering herself,

in this dark corner?" he asked, in a cheery, hearty vo

nking s'posing we were all grasshoppers, how funny we'd look hopping around here instead of walking. We'd have to s

unexpected answer; then he threw back his head and laughed uproarious

ike a grasshopper with that long-tailed coat and all that shirt front? I

opper. But, of course, it would never do for him to say so, and he sought to turn this unusual conversation by inquiring, "Aren't you one of

that's

ed one just comi

t's

ird one here somew

y, but that is such a long name for a

r grown-up air, and said musingly, "Faith,

pretty names I think their folks ought to wait until they can pick out their own names. Grandpa named me-all of us but Gail and Allee. If I just hadn't been born for two weeks longer maybe I'd have had a pretty name, too, for grandpa died when I was only thirteen days old. You see, grandpa was a minister-papa used to be a mi

d preacher found opportunity to murmur, poli

around on 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 a middle 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.

N

something pretty, or else wait till they got big enough to choose for

h-

there feeding cake to that scrap of a man-he's her husband-well, she told Mrs. Grinnell once that I was possessed of seven devils. I asked mother what that meant, and she was dreadfully mad. It takes a lot to make mother mad, too. When we first moved here to Parker, Mrs. Wardlaw tho

wh-

't b'long to any church, and hardly ever g

uggested the pastor, tryi

stay in his flock so now I can't coax it back; and he chased us out of his apple trees one day when we were just climbing after one pretty red one way up high o

x girls all

f pie were getting awfully little, and, of course, they got littler every time there was another baby. But they brought us Allee anyway. That was just after mother's onliest uncle died and

y your papa wa

he use

is h

an

O

and is always blaming the Lord for everything that happens-well, when he got cold and had pneumonia, papa helped take care of him. The deacon is so ugly that hardly anyone else would have anything to do with him; and one rainy night papa was soa

O

n angel, too. Do you s'pose she will?" The big, brown eyes had suddenly grown wide with f

n answered, tenderly, "We shall all

angels in one family is too many, 'specially whe

he little recess, she exclaimed, "Why, Mr. Strong, we've been hunting all over the building for you. What an effective screen those brakes and columbines make! None of us thought of finding you

e Peace, I see your sisters beckoning to you. When the parso

ly away to join her sisters, forgetting, in her gladness, that neith