the
falling rain and wondered how she should keep them occupied for the
rest of the day--for it was just the beginning of the holidays, when
they were usually allowed a good deal of liberty.

She knew by the noise that presently sounded from upstairs that they
had begun "hide-and-seek," and she read disapproval of the uproar in
her aunt's face, and went upstairs to suggest something else. The
children good-temperedly betook themselves to "soap bubbles," Frances
consenting to fetch the tray "to keep things tidy" if Donald would take
it back; and Barbara left them, congratulating herself that they were
safely settled over something quiet.

It was, therefore, surely an evil fate that made Aunt Anne begin to go
upstairs later in the afternoon, just as Donald was descending rapidly
with the tray--not in his hand.

"I _am_ so sorry," he said, getting up in dismay after his rapid slide.
"What a comfort I didn't knock you over; but it's so much the quickest
way of bringing a tray down. I---- Have you ever tried it?"

If he had not been considerably agitated he would not have asked such a
foolish question, and perhaps if Aunt Anne had really not got a severe
fright she would not have been so much annoyed. But as it was, she
stalked past him without saying a word and went up to her room.

"There!" he said ruefully, "I've done it, and I really did mean to be
good."

The incident subdued them all considerably, and Barbara hoped that now
they might get to the end of the visit without any further mishaps.
But next morning at breakfast that hope was banished, for her aunt came
downstairs with such an expression of annoyance upon her face, that
every one knew something really unpleasant was coming.

"Is anything wrong?" Mrs. Britton asked anxiously. "Did you not sleep
well--or--surely the children did not--annoy you in any way?" Visions
of apple-pie beds were floating before her mind, although the
children's looks of innocence somewhat reassured her on that point.

"Some one has annoyed me considerably," Aunt Anne said coldly, "by
interfering with my clothes. When I came to put on my blue blouse this
morning, I found that every other one of the silver buttons had been
cut off."

There was a gasp of astonishment, and Barbara was just about to scorn
the notion that any of the children could have been concerned in the
matter, when her eyes fell on Dick's face. Miss Britton was looking in
the same direction.

"I should