es? He may be silly
about some things, but he would certainly have ideas about that. Where
is he, Edna?"

"He has gone in town, and won't be back till late in the afternoon."

"Trust you for keeping track of his movements," said Celia laughing. "I
don't believe Ben yawns but Edna knows it. Well, we will see what he
says this evening."

"Couldn't you and he come to our house after supper?" asked Agnes.

"I'll find out and 'phone you when he comes in. He doesn't generally
have anything special on hand Saturdays, unless something is going on at
the Abercrombies'."

This gave Edna a new theme to think of and in consequence she did not
find it hard to keep from talking of Nettie's secret when she and
Dorothy met that afternoon.

They took the news of the probable play to Margaret who wanted at once
to tell Mrs. MacDonald about it. She showed great interest and asked all
sorts of questions. "Why couldn't you have it here in my grounds?" she
asked. "There is a good place just back of the house where the terrace
is. I hope you will let it be Margaret's meeting and let me furnish
everything."

"Oh, Mrs. Mac, there will be ever and ever so many people, for we are
going to ask our families and the teachers and all those." Edna was
quite overpowered.

"Well, what of that? Haven't I as much right to entertain them as any of
the others have, and have I less room than my neighbors?"

"Why, no, you have more."

"Very well, then. I put in my plea the first one and I hope you will lay
it before your next meeting." She spoke almost as if she were angry but
there was a merry little twinkle in her eyes which the girls had come to
know well. The next words were, "Go out, Margaret, and ask Lizzie to
send in some of the day's baking for your friends. There must be scones,
or something of that kind." The girls liked the Scotchy things, as they
called them, that Mrs. MacDonald had for them, and the hot scones, with
a "wee bittie" of honey or jam were generally as pleasant a treat as
they found anywhere.

When Edna had returned from her visit she told Celia of what Mrs.
MacDonald had offered and before they had finished talking of it, Cousin
Ben came in, and was immediately set upon, though Edna ran out to meet
him in the hall that she might whisper, "Did you leave it all right?"

"First thing," he returned. "It couldn't have been an hour from the time
I left you before it was at the office."

"Oh, goody, goody!" exclaimed Edna s