the boys another inspiration.

"Tabby Catt, Tabby Catt," they began in
unison, "where have you been?
I've been to Silver Bow to buy me a bean.
Tabby Catt, Tabby Catt, what saw you there?
I saw 'Gory Hanner' with her fearful red hair."

So intent were they upon rendering their new song, that neither boy
heard the screen open and close softly behind him, but Mercedes caught
a glimpse of the set, white face and flashing eyes through the doorway,
and held her breath in mingled fear and expectation.

"Billy goat, Billy goat, where have you been?" a low, ominous voice
interrupted; and the two tormentors came to an abrupt halt in the
middle of the floor, paralyzed at the unexpected appearance of the
black-haired girl.

"A-chewing the whiskers, that grow under my chin," the voice calmly
finished, and seizing the pan of dirty water from which Gloriana had
just rescued the last potato, Tabitha dashed its contents over the
astonished duet. Then realizing that once more she had let go of her
fiery temper, she fled from the house up the trail to a great boulder
on the summit of the mountain, and threw herself face down in an
abandon of shame, remorse and despair.

"Oh, dear, why can't I be good?" she sobbed. "Just when I think I can
hold onto myself and be ladylike no matter how mad I get, something
comes up to show me that I'm mistaken. I'm just as hateful as
Billiard! Oh, dear! And I thought he was being so good, and all the
while he was doing mean things behind my back. I make a miserable
fizzle of everything I undertake. What would Mrs. McKittrick say if
she could have seen me a few minutes ago? Now I've lost all the hold I
had on the boys. They can't respect anyone who doesn't control her
temper any better than I.

"How I wish I had never offered to take care of the tribe of
McKittrick! No, that isn't so, either, for then the mother couldn't
have gone inside with Mr. McKittrick, and perhaps the operation would
have killed him. I'm glad he had his chance, bad boys or no bad boys!
But oh, I am so thankful that Miss Davis will soon be home. I will
never play housekeeper again, never! But now,--how can I make it right
with Billiard and Toady? What a world this is to live in! Always
stepping on someone's toes and then having to beg pardon. The trouble
of it is I--I don't believe I am very sorry that I doused the boys. I
am sorry I got so mad and did such a hateful thing, of course, but they