two more yet to have it, 'nless you count me, and I ain't going to
get it. I don't think Gail and Faith will, either, 'cause they have been
staying with Frances Sherrar ever since the doctor decided he knew what
ailed Allee. Anyway, they had it when they were little."

"What quaint names!" murmured the lady, softly repeating them one by
one.

"Yes, they are, but as it ain't our fault, we've quit fretting about
'em. Our grandfather was a minister, and he named us--all but Gail and
Allee. Papa named the oldest, and mamma named the youngest. Grandpa
fixed up all the rest."

The ludicrous look of resignation in the small round face was too much
for the questioner, and she burst into a rippling peal of laughter, so
hearty that a much older woman popped a surprised face out of the door
to see what was the matter. Peace caught a glimpse of her as she
vanished within doors once more, and demanded, "Who is that?"

"Aunt Pen."

"That's a quaint name, too. I'd as soon be called 'pencil'," she
retaliated.

"It isn't very common these days," smiled the woman. "The real name is
Penelope, but I shortened it to 'Pen.' Poor Aunt Pen, she has a hard
time of it."

"Why? I sh'd think it would be easy work living in such a beautiful
place as this."

"A beautiful place isn't everything in life," came the bitter retort,
and the rebellious look clouded the lovely eyes once more.

"No, it ain't," Peace acknowledged; "but it's a whole lot. Just s'posing
you had to live in a mite of an ugly house without nice things to eat or
wear and with no father or mother to take care of you, and a mortgage
you couldn't pay, and an old skinflint of a man ready to slam you
outdoors and gobble up the farm, furniture and everything, the minute
the mortgage was due. How'd you like that?"

"Have you no father or mother?" The voice was very soft and sweet again,
and the blue eyes glowed tenderly.

Peace shook her head. "They are both inside the gates."

"Then who takes care of you?"

"Grandpa Campbell, what was adopted by my own grandpa when he was a
boy."

"Tell me about it, won't you, dear?"

So Peace related the pathetic story of the two souls who had gone into
the Great Beyond, leaving the helpless orphan band to battle by
themselves; of the struggle the little brown house had witnessed; of the
tramp who came begging his breakfast, and afterwards proved to be the
beloved President of the University; and of the beautiful change which
had com