-or
something. Mew--mouse--milk--" she was wrinkling her forehead and
repeating the words to herself when Mr. Winslow had an inspiration.

"'Twan't purgatory, was it?" he suggested.

Miss Barbara's head bobbed enthusiastically. "Purr-gatory, that
was it," she declared. "And it was something a cat does--purr,
you know; I knew it was. Mamma said living here was paradise
after purr-gatory."

Jed rubbed his chin.

"I cal'late your ma didn't care much for the board at Luretta
Smalley's," he observed. He couldn't help thinking the remark an
odd one to make to a child.

"Oh, I don't think she meant Mrs. Smalley's," explained Barbara.
"She liked Mrs. Smalley's pretty well, well as any one can like
boarding, you know," this last plainly another quotation. "I think
she meant she liked living here so much better than she did living
in Middleford, where we used to be."

"Hum," was the only comment Jed made. He was surprised,
nevertheless. Judged by what Captain Sam had told him, the
Armstrong home at Middleford should have been a pleasant one.
Barbara rattled on.

"I guess that was it," she observed. "She was sort of talking to
herself when she said it. She was writing a letter--to Uncle
Charlie, I think it was--and I and Petunia asked her if she liked
it here and she sort of looked at me without looking, same as you
do sometimes, Mr. Winslow, when you're thinking of something else,
and then she said that about the catty--no, the purr-gatory. And
when I asked her what purr-gatory meant she said, 'Never mind,'
and. . . . Oh, I forgot!" in consternation; "she told me I mustn't
tell anybody she said it, either. Oh, dear me!"

Jed hastened to reassure her. "Never mind," he declared, "I'll
forget you ever did say it. I'll start in forgettin' now. In five
minutes or so I'll have forgot two words of it already. By to-
morrow mornin' I wouldn't remember it for money."

"Truly?"

"Truly bluely, lay me down and cut me in twoly. But what's this
you're sayin' about your ma lookin' at things without seein' 'em,
same as I do? She don't do that, does she?"

The young lady nodded. "Yes," she said; "course not as bad--I mean
not as often as you do, but sometimes, 'specially since--" She
hastily clapped her hand over her mouth. "Oh!" she exclaimed.

"What's the matter? Toothache?"

"No. Only I almost told another somethin' I mustn't."

"Sho! Well, I'm glad you put on the cover just in time."

"So am I.