oved
of the Shepards," Ruth said quietly. "I think they are very plucky,
too--orphans, with a very small income, and helping to pay for their
education by traveling with a peddler's outfit in summer and letting the
team and route out to another peddler during the winter. And Cecile is
lovely."

"How about Luke?" asked Agnes slyly, and had the satisfaction of seeing
her older sister blush.

Just then there was a crash on the side porch and in a moment Neale's
glowing face was thrust through the pantry door.

"Eating, folks? I'll have to hustle or Mr. Con Murphy will eat my share
and his own, too. There! I've brought all the hardware for that aerial
tramway. It's on the porch. Let Tom Jonah watch it to-night, and we'll
rig it in the morning."

CHAPTER IV

SCHOOL IN THE OFFING

Neale O 'Neil, trained as an acrobat, had never lost his suppleness and
skill in trapeze work and other gymnastics since leaving Twomley &
Sorber's Herculean Circus and Menagerie. There was a fine gymnasium at
the Milton high school which he attended, and Neale had made his mark in
the gymnasium work as well as in the studies he loved.

It was no trick at all for him to put up the wire attachments to make
the aerial tramway altogether to the satisfaction of Tess and Dot and
Sammy Pinkney. Before evening the following day the wire was stretched
and in place, the pulleys rigged, and the wire basket, which was used as
the car, was traveling back and forth briskly from the window of Sammy's
bedroom to one of the windows of the large room in the east ell of the
old Corner House where Tess and Dot slept and had their dolls and
playthings.

With lengths of clothesline to pull the wire car back and forth, it was
easy for the children to manipulate it. And the car was roomy enough and
strong enough to hold almost anything they might wish to send between
the two houses.

Of course, it was not exactly an airship of any kind. But for the time
Tess Kenway, who was usually modestly satisfied with what was done for
her, was perfectly delighted with the arrangement.

As for Dot, she was so pleased, that she felt compelled to sit right
down in the middle of the drying green beneath the wire, clasping the
Alice-doll close to her breast, and gaze up at the car going back and
forth as Sammy and Tess manipulated it.

"Oh! it's delightsome!" gasped the little girl, quoting one of Agnes'
favorite expressions.

When Sammy came down and looked over