ece of cheese, he came out of the kitchen door. They
were out of hearing of Mrs. Farrell--that unfortunate "Hattie," who was
doomed always to live in New Hampshire, while her husband was free to
travel into any State, beginning with M, where his imagination led him.

"Well, what is it now?" he asked.

"Oh, Mr. Farrell, the most wonderful thing has happened!" said Peggy; "I
have bought such a lovely hen from Miss Betsy Porter, and she has given
me a young rooster, and I am going to play they are people from the
State of Rhode Island; and their names are Mr. Henry Cox and Mrs.
Henrietta Cox--only, of course, for most people, they are just a cock
and hen--just two Rhode Island Reds."

"I see," said old Michael. "But why are you telling me about it?"

"Miss Betsy said you could bring them to us this afternoon. She said you
were working for her, but mother wanted the hen-house fixed up a little
first. Can you do it to-morrow?"

"I see," said old Michael; "you want the apartment in the hotel made
ready for Mr. and Mrs. Cox?"

"Oh, yes," Peggy said, laughing with delight; "I want everything done
for the people who are renting my house."

"All right, Peggy, I'll look out for the comfort of your tenants."

"My tenants are not going to keep any maid, Mr. Farrell; I've got to
give them most of their meals, although they will get some out, and I
thought you'd advise me what food is cheapest and best."

They talked about the best food for Mr. and Mrs. Cox all the way to
Peggy's house, where Mr. Farrell stopped to inspect the hen-house on his
way to Miss Porter's.

"I always meant to keep hens sometime," Mrs. Owen confided to Mr.
Farrell, "but I did not mean to begin this winter."

"If you have them at all, you might as well have a few more," he said;
"it is a little like summer boarders--the more you have, the more profit
you get."

"I know," said Mrs. Owen, "but unfortunately, you have to begin by
buying the hens."

CHAPTER XIII

MRS. OWEN'S SURPRISE PARTY

Mrs. Owen was to have a birthday, and Peggy and Alice felt something
especial ought to be done to celebrate it. It was Miss Pauline Thornton
who put the idea of a surprise party into Peggy's head. She came over
one rainy evening to tell Mrs. Owen about a surprise party the Sewing
Circle was to give to the minister's wife on her fiftieth birthday. Miss
Pauline Thornton lived with her father in the large gray stone house
behind the stone wall on which Pe