one of our own apples."

"It is surely off our pippin tree," agreed Agnes.

"Who could have sent it?" Tess surmised. "And Dr. Forsyth brought it."

"Bringing coals to Newcastle," chuckled Neale.

But when Tess took up the apple, it broke in half. It had been cunningly
cut through and through, and then the core scooped out, and the halves
of the apple fastened together again.

"Oo-ee!" squealed Dot again.

For in the core of the apple was a wad of paper, and Tess spread this
out on the table. It was a note and the reading of it delighted the two
smaller girls immensely:

"My dear Lesser Half of the Corner House Quartette," it began.
"Your kindness in sending me the nice bag of apples has not been
overlooked. I wanted to come and see you, and thank you in
person; but my duties at present will not allow me to do so. We
are short-handed here at the Women's and Children's Hospital and
I can not spare the time for even an afternoon call.

"I would, however, dearly love to have you little girls, Theresa
and Dorothy, both come to call on me, and take tea, some
afternoon--the time to be set by your elder sister, Miss Ruth.
Ask her to write to me when you may come--on your way home from
school, if you like.

"Hoping I shall have the pleasure of entertaining you soon, I
am,

"Your loving and sincere friend,
"MARION ELAND."

"I think that is just too sweet for anything of her," sighed Tess,
ecstatically. "To call and take tea with her! Won't that be fine, Dot?"

"Fine!" echoed Dot. She bit tentatively into her half of the apple which
had contained the invitation. "This--this apple isn't hurt a mite,
Tess," she added and immediately proceeded to eat it.

CHAPTER VIII

LYCURGUS BILLET'S EAGLE BAIT

Ruth set the day--and an early one--for Tess and Dot to take tea with
their new friend, Mrs. Eland. She wrote a very nice note in reply to
that found in the core of the apple, and the little girls looked forward
with delight to seeing the matron of the Woman's and Children's
Hospital.

But before the afternoon in question arrived something occurred in which
all the Corner House girls had a part, and Neale O'Neil as well; and it
was an adventure not soon to be forgotten by any of them. Incidentally,
Tom Jonah was in it too.

Ruth tried, on pleasant Saturdays, to invent some game or play that all
could have a part in. This kept the four sisters to