believe so. He is quick to
understand things. Now we will skip back to the post-office and I'll
scratch him a letter of explanation, so it will go out with to-day's
mail. Then if he shouldn't translate the telegram correctly--well, the
letter will get there as soon as possible afterward."

As she spoke, she delivered the written message to the waiting
operator, smiled with satisfaction at his look of baffled curiosity and
bewilderment, and assuring him that it was worded exactly as she wanted
it sent, she left the dingy office confident that the queer cipher
would bring the desired results. Nor was she mistaken.

Early the next morning Mercedes came flying excitedly down the path to
the Catt cottage, and, without the formality of knocking, burst into
the kitchen where the two girls were busy washing up the breakfast
dishes.

"Oh, Kitty! Gloriana!" she cried, half laughing, half sobbing with
sheer delight. "Guess what's happened! Mr. Carson has sent mamma some
money to take papa to Los Angeles. Now he can get well. That is what
has been worrying her so much. The doctor said he would die unless he
was operated on and mamma hadn't the money to get it done. They are to
start to-morrow. Mamma's going, too. Doctor says every minute counts,
and he has telegraphed to the hospital to make arrangements already."

She paused, all out of breath, to mop her steaming forehead; and
Tabitha, studying the flushed, shining face, wondered that she had ever
thought Mercedes McKittrick dull and homely.

"Isn't that fine?" she heard Gloriana saying, as heartily as if she had
not known anything about the telegram before. "What are the rest of
you going to do while your mother is away? You children, I mean."

"That's how I happened to come here," Mercedes replied, her eyes losing
some of their glow as she recalled her errand in that part of the town.
"Mamma sent me down to Miss Davis' house with a note, but she isn't
there; and the woman next door says she has gone to Riverside for two
weeks. I s'pose we'll have to find someone else instead. But I was so
near I couldn't help running on down to tell the news. I must be going
now. There is lots to be done before train time to-morrow, and
mamma'll need me."

"We will come up and help her pack as soon as we get the house
righted," Tabitha found tongue to say. "She mustn't get too tired
before she starts."

So Mercedes raced away again, and a few moments later the two