ainy night papa was soaked
going up to Skinner's house, and he had to sit up 'most of the night in
a cold room, 'cause the deacon wouldn't have anyone in his room where
the fire was. So papa caught cold, too, and he never got well. The
angels came and carried him away."

"Oh!"

"Yes, and I heard Mrs. Abbott tell a lady one day that she thought
mother would soon be an angel, too. Do you s'pose she will?" The big,
brown eyes had suddenly grown wide with fear, and Peace piteously
searched the strong face above her for some comforting assurance.

Just a moment he hesitated, and then answered, tenderly, "We shall all
be angels some day if we are good."

"Oh, mamma is good as gold! But two sure-enough angels in one family is
too many, 'specially when it's the mother and father. Don't you think
so?"

Poor man! What could he say? But at that moment came a timely
interruption in the shape of Miss Dunbar with a huge platter loaded with
glasses of lemonade; and as she spied the two figures in the little
recess, she exclaimed, "Why, Mr. Strong, we've been hunting all over the
building for you. What an effective screen those brakes and columbines
make! None of us thought of finding you here. Peace, you are very quiet
this evening. Would you like some lemonade? Have you had refreshments,
Mr. Strong? The committee is looking for you to make arrangements for
Sunday's meetings."

"I will be there in a moment, Miss Dunbar. Good-night, little Peace, I
see your sisters beckoning to you. When the parsonage is ship-shape I
want you to come and see us. Will you?"

"You bet!" was the prompt and emphatic reply, as Peace skipped happily
away to join her sisters, forgetting, in her gladness, that neither Hope
nor Charity had brought her any cake to eat with her lemonade.

CHAPTER III

SHOES AND STRAWBERRIES

"Cherry! Cherry Greenfield!" called Peace, imperatively, flapping a
newspaper vigorously, as if to add emphasis to her summons.

"Here," drawled a lazy voice from the great elm by the road. "What do
you want? I am busy."

"You are reading, that's what!" exclaimed her sister in disgust, as she
came within sight of the slender, brown legs swinging among the
thickly-leaved branches. "Shut up that book and listen to me. I've got
some portentious"--she meant important--"news. Cameron's Shoe Store
advertises shoes at forty-nine cents. That means a pair, doesn't it?
They wouldn't sell them separately, would they,--'cepting to