and
your fright, Gail. I've had a big battle to pull her through, and I was
wild when I found that fool mother had gone off and left her alone.
Didn't expect to be gone long, and here it is _hours_! There, I won't
storm any more, but we'll wake Peace up and take her home."

He shook the child gently by the shoulder, and as the sleepy eyes
fluttered open they saw only Gail bending over her. "It's all right,
Gail," the child said softly, still remembering her charge. "Dr.
Bainbridge asked me to be a good _sanatarium_ over Annette while that
_negrogrampus_ of a mother was hunting bargains of embroid'ries and he
was hunting a sure-enough nurse. Oh, there is the doctor himself! Is
Annette all right? She talked a lot at first, but I told her about my
moon lady, and pretty soon she went fast asleep."

"Annette is doing splendidly, Dr. Peace, and I am tickled to death at
the good work you've done. Run along with Gail now. I'll be down in a
minute to drive you home."

CHAPTER XV

PEACE COLLECTS DAMAGES

The hot summer was drawing to a close. Two weeks more and September
would be ushered in, bringing with it the State Fair, always an event in
the lives of the busy farmers of the State, and particularly of those
around Martindale and Pendennis, as the fairgrounds were located midway
between the two big cities.

Peace had never attended a State Fair in all her short life, but she had
heard it talked about so much by the residents of Parker that she was
wildly excited when Faith decided to enter a cake in the cooking
exhibit, and immediately she determined to visit the Fair in person and
see her sister's handiwork fitly rewarded. However, when she made known
this decision to the rest of the family Gail said quietly, "I am afraid
you can't, dear. It costs fifty cents to enter the grounds, and even if
they admit children at half price, that would mean twenty-five cents for
each of you three youngest, and Hope would have to pay the full amount,
as she is now in her 'teens. We can't afford to go this year."

This was an item that Peace had not considered. Of course, if she went,
the rest of the family were entitled to the same pleasure, and that
would mean three half dollars and three quarters. She found her slate
and laboriously added up the column of figures. "Two dollars and
twenty-five cents! Mercy, that is a lot to spend just to go to the Fair
for one day, isn't it? Oh, dear, why is it we always have to stop and
t