it for an hour. That was the longest hour I ever
spent."

Mrs. Gordon had risen to peer through the window after a rapidly
receding wagon.

"There!" she said. "There goes that woman from Bayfield I want to sell
some of my bees to. She's going down to Blisses' and I'd better walk
right over and talk to her, as the telephone won't work. I 'most think
one hive is going to swarm this morning, but I guess I'll have time to
get back before they come out. Hello, Johnny, how do you do to-day?"

"All right," lisped the small solemn-eyed urchin who had strayed in
from the kitchen and now stood in the door hitching at a diminutive
pair of trousers and eying Elliott absorbedly. "Gone!" he announced
suddenly; coming out of his scrutiny.

"What, your button?" Harriet pulled him up to her. "I'll sew it on in
a jiffy. Don't worry about the bees, Mother. I can manage them, if
they decide to swarm before you get back, and while you're at the
Blisses' just telephone central our phone's out of order--and oh,
please tell Mrs. Cameron we're keeping Elliott till afternoon."

Mrs. Gordon departed and Harriet sewed on the button. "There, Johnny,
now you're all right. You can run out and play."

But Johnny became suddenly galvanized into action. He dived into a
small pocket and produced a note, crumpled and soiled, but still
legible.

"If that isn't provoking!" said Harriet, when she had read it. "Why
didn't you give me this the first thing, Johnny? Then Mother could
have done this telephoning, too, at the Blisses'."

"What is it?" asked Elliott.

"A message Johnny's mother wants sent. She's our hired man's wife and
I must say at times she shows about as much brains as a chicken. You'd
think she'd know our 'phone wouldn't be likely to work, if hers
didn't. Now I shall have to go over to the Blisses' myself, I suppose.
The message seems fairly important. Where has your mother gone,
Johnny?"

But Johnny didn't know; beyond a vague "she wided away" he was
non-committal.

"She might have stopped somewhere and telephoned for herself, I should
think," grumbled Harriet. "I'll be back in a few minutes. Or will you
come, too? If I can't 'phone from the Blisses' I may have to go
farther."

"I'll stay here, I think, and wash up my dishes. And after that I'll
finish the peas."

"Mercy me, I shan't be gone that long! We're shelling these to put up,
you know. Don't bother about washing your dishes, either. They'll
keep."

"Who's saying b