its ugliest, and the children were home from school, and when the
scramble to get to church and to safely accomplish the one o'clock
dinner exhausted the women of the family. And how could she keep him
from coming, what excuse could she give?

"Don't you want him to come--is he old and fussy?" asked Rebecca,
interestedly.

"I'll see," Margaret answered vaguely. "No, he's only thirty-two
or four."

"And charming!" said Maudie archly. Margaret eyed her with a
coolness worthy of Mrs. Carr-Boldt herself, and then turned
rather pointedly to Rebecca.

"How's Mother, Becky?"

"Oh, she's fine!" Rebecca said, absently in her turn. When Maudie left
them at the next corner, she said quickly:--

"Mark, did you see where we were when I saw you?"

"At the express office--? Yes," Margaret said, surprised.

"Well, listen," said Rebecca, reddening. "Don't say anything to Mother
about it, will you? She thinks those boys are fresh in there--She
don't like me to go in!"

"Oh, Beck--then you oughtn't!" Margaret protested.