Yes, I like the horses and I like the people. It's going to be nice to
live with such a _neducated_ bunch. Marie's the only one that doesn't
want to learn more, but p'raps she'll get over it. Who wins the prize,
grandpa? That's all Allee and me saw. And what is the prize?"
"After dinner in the den tonight I'll tell you the secret," the
President promised. "I had no idea it would take so long to recount your
adventures, but my time is up now. I must go back to the University at
once. And by the way, Peace, I am afraid Jud will have to show you
around the campus if you must see it this afternoon. I have an important
meeting at two o'clock."
CHAPTER II
THE FLAG ROOM
Scarcely had the dinner hour ended that evening when the hilarious trio
of younger girls, followed by the more sedate, but no less eager older
sisters, scurried down the long corridor toward the den where the
President had already intrenched himself, waiting for the promised
visit.
"Here we are, grandpa!" announced Allee, tumbling breathlessly through
the doorway and into the nearest chair. "We raced and I beat."
"'Cause Cherry tripped me up," exploded Peace wrathfully. "It's no
fair--"
"Tut, tut, my children!" Dr. Campbell interposed. "No scrapping allowed
here. This is a home, not a kennel."
"Oh, we weren't scrapping," Peace hastily assured him, "but I'd have won
if Cherry hadn't got her feet mixed up with mine, so's Allee got in
ahead. I don't care, though. I can run the fastest of the bunch
outdoors. Jud says I'm a racer, all right. _Did_ I get the prize for
talking the most this noon? Gail and Faith and all of them think I ought
to have it--that is, Allee and me. We went together and saw the same
things, though I did do all the telling."
The President laughed. "Yes, I believe you and Allee won the prize all
right. Grandma thinks so, too, but that is just where the hitch comes;
because, you see, the prize was just to be your choice of rooms
upstairs, and with Peace in one room and Allee in another, how are we
going to settle the question as to who has first choice?"
"Do you mean that the winner can choose which of those three bare rooms
she wants for her very own?"
"That's it." His eyes twinkled merrily. Peace's untrammeled frankness
furnished him much amusement.
"Well, then, why is Allee going to be in one room and me in another?"
"Why--why--why--" stammered the learned Doctor, at loss to know how to
explain certain pl
|