in my house during my absence!" she said quietly.
"That seems strange since Ellen has no key!"

There was nothing in her voice to indicate rebuke, but Mrs. Perkins
got very red.

"I s'pose your own sister has a right to get into the house where she
was born," she snapped.

"Oh, of course," said Julia Cloud pleasantly. "And Ellen used to be a
good climber before she got so fat. I suppose she climbed in the
second-story window, although I hadn't realized she could. However,
it doesn't matter. I suppose you have had to leave your dishes and
beds once in a while when you were called away on business. You have a
cup there; did you want to borrow something?"

Mrs. Perkins was one of those people who are never quite aware of it
when they are in a corner; but she felt most uncomfortable, especially
as she caught a stifled giggle from Allison, who bolted into the
parlor hastily and began noisily to turn over the pages of a book on
the table; but she managed to ask for her soda and get herself out of
the house.

"Thank you for bringing my sister's message," called Julia Cloud after
her. She never could quite bear to be unpleasant even to a prying
neighbor, and Mrs. Perkins through the years had managed to make
herself unpleasant many times.

"The old cat!" said Leslie in a clear, carrying voice. "Why did you
thank her, Auntie Jewel? She didn't deserve it."

"Hush, Leslie, dear! She will hear you!" said Julia Cloud, hastily
closing the door on the last words.

"I hope she did," said Leslie comfortably. "I _meant_ she should."

"But, deary, that isn't right! It isn't--Christian!" said her aunt in
distress.

"Then I'm no Christian," chanted Leslie mischievously. "Why isn't it
right, I'd like to know? Isn't she an old cat?"

"But you hurt her feelings, dear. I'm afraid I was to blame, too; I
didn't answer her any too sweetly myself."

"Well, didn't she hurt yours first? _Sweet!_ Why, you were honey
itself, Cloudy, dear, thanking her for her old prying!"

"I hope it's the kind of honey that gets bitter after you swallow it!"
growled Allison, coming out of the parlor. "If she'd said much more,
I'd just have put her out of the house, talking to you like that, as
if you were a little child, Cloudy!"

"Why, children! That didn't really hurt me any; it just stirred up my
temper a little; but I'm ashamed that I let it, and I don't want you
to talk like that. It isn't a bit right. It distresses me to have you
think it's r