st?"

"Do you think I'd go and sit at the table with them when they won't have
you and Max there, too?"

"What about Max? did he do something wrong, too?"

"No; it wasn't anything wicked; he just bought some wood for his carving
with some of his own money."

"But maybe he went without leave?" Gracie said, half inquiringly.

"Yes, that was it; he forgot to ask. A very little thing to punish him
for, I'm sure; but Mr. Dinsmore (I sha'n't call him grandpa) says he must
stay in his own room till this time to-morrow."

"Why," said Gracie, "that's worse than mamma's punishment to me for--for
doing such a wicked, wicked thing!"

"Yes, she's not such a cruel tyrant. He'd have beaten you black and blue.
I hope she won't tell him about it."

A terrified look came into Gracie's eyes, and she burst out crying again.

"O Gracie, don't!" Lulu entreated, kneeling down beside the sofa and
clasping her arms about her. "I didn't mean to frighten you so. Of
course, Mamma Vi won't; if she meant to she'd have done it before now, and
you'd have heard from him, too."

A step came along the hall, the door opened, and Agnes appeared bearing a
large silver waiter.

"Ise brung yo' suppah, chillens," she said, setting it down on a table.

Then lifting a stand and placing it near Gracie's couch, she presently had
it covered with a snowy cloth and a dainty little meal arranged upon it:
broiled chicken, stewed oysters, delicate rolls, hot buttered muffins and
waffles, canned peaches with sugar and rich cream, sponge cake, nice and
fresh, and abundance of rich sweet milk.

The little girls viewed these dainties with great satisfaction, and
suddenly discovered that they were very hungry.

Agnes set up a chair for each, saw them begin their meal, then left the
room, saying she would be back again directly with more hot cakes.

"There, Gracie, you needn't be the least bit afraid you're to be punished
any more," remarked Lulu. "They'd never have sent us such a supper as this
if they wanted to punish us."

"Do you want to run away from them now?" asked Gracie. "Do you think
Grandpa Dinsmore is so very, very cross to us?"

"He's too hard on Max," returned Lulu, "though not so hard as he used to
be on Grandma Elsie when she was his own little girl; and perhaps papa
would be just as hard as he is with Max."

"But 'tisn't 'cause they like to make us sorry, except for being naughty,
so that we'll grow up good, you know," said Grace. "I'm su