At the Little Brown House

re 'tis five and they haven't come." Peace was plainly worried, and with a half-impatient sigh, Cherry closed her fascinating st

rse run away,"

r, 'cause Mrs. Grinnell was to s

he car run of

g. S'posing they don't come home to

e when she comes h

. She won't get home until Mr. Edw

e help o

won't be supper for Gail and Faith

can't we co

ha

otatoe

turn into Humpty-Dumpties. S'posing we were eggs and had to walk and act so careful or else get sm

here

le sac

now how t

st like mush or oatmeal, only

ut it on to boil now. H

it She just guesses at it; but I think we

h to eat two cups

o for each of us. It's good cold, s'p

herry; and the three embryo cooks repa

e it out. One-two-three-four-five-six-seven-eight-nine-that makes a big ho

; "and besides, Hope wo

ugh. Now we'll pour in the water,-lo

get any milk for our rice?" asked Allee, w

n. "Why didn't we think of that before? Rice isn't good wit

shivere

ourselves," suggeste

ow," protested t

pull hard like the janitor pulls the rope that rings the church bell.

but I don't think I know how. I'll w

on,

egan, with Peace astride the stool. But somehow Bossy resen

with Gail. She has kicked me twice already, and here we are clear out of her stall. Allee, you hold her tail, s

w into the air, Peace was thrown backward from her seat, the pail whirled across the floor, and Bossy rushed out of the barn door, dragging little, tenacious Alle

d plunge, she lurched against the stone watering troug

erry, dancing up and down in fright.

p, though it isn't quite time, but I hope not. No, he hasn't, for there comes the doctor out of the door. Oh, Mr. Jones, what will you give for a cow, a broken-legged cow? I didn't stick her, 'cause I wasn't sure just how to do it, but her leg is just freshly broke

ur horses a bit," cried the amazed bu

And seizing him by the hand she dragged him toward the door. The sight of the child's great distress touched the big man, and pau

s! Ain't her

s a shame, for she's a mighty fine looking critter. I'll giv

g to milk her. She's worth a lot more'n fifteen dollars alive, but as meat I s'pose we'll have to let her go cheap. You can

ng, "You couldn't get any more for her in the city, under the circumstances, I know. Butchers don't ordinarily buy milch cows

ed up the path, calling back over her shoulder, "Stick he

f something burning greeted her nostrils, and there stood Cherry beside the red-hot stove, dipping

his rice! It's sticking faster than I can scratch it up, it's boiled over the s

old water and pouring it into one sizzling pot. "Mercy, how it ha

ully smoky," answered Cherry, sniffing at t

y face, and finally announced, "It's spoiled, I gu

here she stood trying to stir the heavy contents of another

stove cover, and without pausing in her task, she called crossly, "You will have to wait till we ca

ded in freeing the panful of smoking, blackened rice from the cover, but that quick glance had told her the visitor was a tramp, and she snapped sharply, "I s'pose you want a bite to eat. Well

n the back of the stove so it had not yet arrived at the burning point. He caught up one other, dumped about half its contents into a clean saucepan on the hearth

sn't spoiled. Now we will open the windows and let out this s

and thought we

ice sw

eace, blushing furiously at his quizzical grin

re the s

ity, and Hope hasn't come ho

ll do. You show me where you keep things and I will get supper, if you w

all over your potato, aren't you?" cried Peace with un

cake,

the morning you ate breakf

cake in my life,-

so at the time. Was it-have y

innocence, as he deftly set the table and

maybe you had lost it. No, I didn't think so, either. Gail thought you might

you found on the gatepost! Well, don't you think it woul

day. When mamma was a little girl there was a queer old man lived in her town that people called crazy. He used to give pretty things to the children and then months later he'd go around and c'llect them and give them to someone else. Maybe that's

k she could spend the money without any such f

airies?" cried Peace

s fly around like butterflies, the way they are pictur

in it to the gatepost and grain sacks?

ney would make things easier at the brown house, or the green one,

art that he didn't know who put it there. The Dunbars aren't rich. Miss Truesdale can't afford it. Even Mrs. Grinnell couldn't do it. Judge Abbott has lots of money, but folks have to work for what they

a friend whom y

really use the money for ourselves. Now that Bossy is gone, I don't know what we are going

l call around by the place and have the man bring it to you the first thing in the morning. It is qui

ht, a bit of bread pois

cow?" asked

very

Bossy?" Cher

e as a

gallons of milk a da

somet

he pr

e as a p

with lots of cream? We mak

plendid bu

good horns-not too sharp? Will she eat sugar out of your hand

finest cow

uspicion, studying the old man opposite her, but seeing only a sandy, untrimmed beard, a st

laid for him. "He wants to get rid of his herd, but doesn't need th

so bad about losing Bossy if we can get another just as good. Here is the money. Do you have to go s

to the spring night walked the tramp, with the precious fifteen dollars in his pocket, and ag

maids, they were surprised to find supper spread on the table awaiting their coming, and to hear a stran

nce?" asked Peace, when the recital

and silent with despair. "What did you give him that money for! It's the last we will ever see of i

indignantly, and then burst into tears, unable t

he money you told him about. No, Cherry, I don't want any supper. Come and he

imbed wearily, fearfully upstairs to bed, where Peace sobbed herself to sleep, with faithful Allee's arms about her neck. But no ro

ssy's stall, lowing for some breakfast. She awoke with a start, to hear a familiar, persistent mooing, and the tinkle of a bell in the barnyard, and, leaping out of bed, she rushed to the window with wildly beating heart. There in the yard, tied to the old watering-troug