t the girls' permission. You see, while they
work here, that is the one place in the house which is really theirs,
and they don't want the rest of the family intruding."

"Yes, I know now. Gussie told me how it was when I spoke of Marie's
being cross, but we never touched a thing; we just looked, didn't we,
Allee? Marie had the tooth-ache, and that's enough to make anyone ugly.
I got her some funny stuff that a shoemaker in Parker gave me once when
I had the tooth-ache. After that she was a little pleasanter to us--that
is, for a time. It did stop the aching right away, but it took all the
skin off her cheek where she put the medicine--it is to be rubbed on
outside. I forgot to tell her it would do that, so she didn't like it
very well when her face began to peel off, 'cause she is going to the
theatre tonight with her beau. But when she jawed about it, I told her
I'd rather have a skinned face and a chance to go to the theatre, than
an aching tooth any day of the week, and fin'ly she decided she would,
too. I guess I'll like her in time, but I like Gussie better. Then we
went on downstairs and 'xamined the rooms on that floor. The big front
room is awfully pretty, and so is grandma's room where she sews, but the
other three bedrooms are very bare and ugly-looking. Is that where
you're going to put us, grandpa?"

"Peace!" shrieked the sisters in horrified chorus.

"Yes!" roared the delighted President, and even Mrs. Campbell joined in
his merriment.

"Well, I s'pose it is healthy," Peace reluctantly admitted; then as if
divining a joke somewhere, she smiled serenely and continued her
recital. "We looked through the parlor and library and dining-room and
where you put company when they come, and then we came to the kitchen.
We got there ahead of Gail all right, for Gussie was just making some
pies and reading a book at the same time."

"A book!" echoed Mrs. Campbell, a slight frown gathering on the usually
placid forehead.

"Yes, it was a _pome_ of some kind that she was trying to learn. She
wants to be a _neducated_ Swede. She got through High School, but she
wants to know more'n that, so's she can be a teacher some day. That's
how she comes to be cooking for other people. She is a good cook and can
make pretty good money that way. She isn't a big spender, so every month
she can put away 'most all of her wages towards going to Normal School.
I always thought Normal School was where they sent bad boys and girls
wh