y,
we'll be all fixed for next week. I do wish those California things
would arrive and we could get the rugs down. It doesn't look homey
without rugs and pictures."

And, sure enough, they had not been at work ten minutes before the
newly-acquired telephone bell rang, and the freight agent announced
that their goods were at the station, and asked whether they wanted
them sent up to-day, for he wanted to get the car out of his way.

In two hours more the goods arrived, and right in the midst of their
unloading the delivery-wagons from the city brought a lot more
articles; and so the little pink-and-white house was a scene of lively
action for some time.

When the last truck had started away from the house, Allison drove the
car up.

"Now, Cloudy, you jump in quick, and we're going back to the inn for
lunch. Then you lie down and rest a whole hour, and sleep, or I won't
let you come back," he announced. "I saw a tired look around your
eyes, and it won't do. We are not going to have you worked out, not if
we stay in that old inn for another month. So there!"

He packed them in, and whirled them away to the inn in spite of Julia
Cloud's protest that she was not tired and wanted to work; but, when
they came back at two o'clock, they all felt rested and fit for work
again.

"Now, I'm the man, and I'm going to boss for a while," said Allison.
"You two ladies go up-stairs, and make beds. Here, which are the
blankets and sheets? I'll take the bundles right up there, and you
won't have any running up and down to do. These? All of them? All
right. Now come on up, and I'll be undoing the rugs and boxes from
California. When you come down, they'll be all ready for you to say
where they shall go."

Leslie and her aunt laughingly complied, and had a beautiful time
unfolding and spreading the fine white sheets, plumping the new
pillows into their cases, laying the soft, gay-bordered blankets and
pretty white spreads, till each bed was fair and fit for a good
night's sleep. And then at the foot of each was plumped, in a puff
of beauty, the bright satin eiderdowns that Leslie had insisted
upon. Rose-color for Julia Cloud's, robin's-egg blue for Leslie's,
and orange and brown for Allison's, who had insisted upon mahogany
and quiet colors for his room. Leslie's furniture was ivory-white,
and Julia Cloud's room was furnished in French gray enamel, with
insets of fine cane-work. She stood a moment in the open doorway, and
looked