, only I will leave off the last word,
after the first line," said mother, "and you must guess what that word
is."

"There was a man rode to the mill.
The road ran steeply up the--"

"Hill," cried Beth.

"Yes; now let sister guess the next."

He stopped beside a flowing--"

"Rill?" asked Ethelwyn, after thinking awhile.

"Yes."

"This horse was dry, so drank his--"

"Fill."

"Along there came a girl named--"

"Jill."

"He wished that his was Jack, not--"

"Will."

"For people sometimes called him--"

"Bill."

"This really was a bitter--"

"Pill."

"And made him feel both vexed and--"

"Ill." Mother had to tell them that, because they both guessed sick.

"He brought his gun along to--"

"Kill."

"A bird to give to Jill a--"

"Quill?" Ethelwyn guessed after a long time.

"They lingered long, they lingered--"

"Till," and again mother had to tell them this.

"The sun went down and all was--"

"Still."

They had both missed one, so they each had to pay a forfeit or get up a
game.

But they were now within sight of Grandmother Van Stark's fine old
colonial house, and there on the porch stood grandmother herself, who
had seen them coming, so had come out to meet them.

"Oh isn't our grandmother pretty though?" said Ethelwyn, as they turned
in at the circular driveway. She had snow white hair, dark eyes and a
very stately carriage.

She welcomed them warmly, and invited them into the grand old hall with
its white staircase and mahogany rail.

Modern children seemed almost out of place in this old-time house.

"I always seem to think you need short-waisted frocks, and drooping hats
like Sir Joshua Reynolds's, and the Gainsborough pictures," said their
mother laughing.

"O may we go up to the attic and dress up?" begged Ethelwyn.

"After while," said grandmother. "It is luncheon time now. I am glad you
came to-day, my daughter, for Nancy, the housemaid, has gone home for a
week's rest, and there is a meeting of the women of the church this
afternoon to arrange about a rummage sale, and a loan exhibition, and
they are rather depending upon me to contribute to both; but as Nancy is
away, I cannot well leave for I am a little overtired with more duties
than usual. So I have made a list of things that I will lend, and give.
I should like you to take it down."

"Yes, mother, I will, but what about the children--?"

"O mother, plea