birds get
at it!"

"We might throw it along the rail--it's wide enough to hold quite a
little--"

"Course! What a _nijut_ I am not to think of that myself!"

Slinging the bag of grain over one arm, and still clutching the hay
firmly in the other hand, she began her slow creeping along the coping
back to the balcony window. The rain-pipe shook threateningly under her
weight, and even the trellis supports swayed uncomfortably when once she
slipped and almost lost her frail footing. Allee gave a low moan of
horror and shut her eyes, but the daring climber did not fall, and when
next the watcher looked, she beheld the curly, brown head bobbing over
the balcony rail, as Peace swung up to safety beside her, and dropped
the burden--the birds' Christmas dinner--into her trembling hands.

Nor was Allee the only one who trembled. On the snowy walk below,
approaching the house with rapid strides, came the dignified President,
hand in hand with two children, a bright-eyed, black-haired boy of
perhaps a dozen years, and an under-sized, gipsy-like little girl, both
chattering like magpies as they raced along beside the tall, erect old
man, when suddenly the girl screamed faintly, "Oh, Uncle Donald, look!"

But he had caught sight of the apparition even before she spoke, and
halted abruptly, breathlessly, terror clutching at his heart. The boy
followed the gaze of his two petrified companions, and ejaculated in
amazed admiration, "Golly, but she's got grit! Why, Uncle Donald, that's
your house! That must be one of the girls you were telling us about. Is
it Peace?"

The President nodded his head mechanically, not knowing that he had
heard the question, but the next moment the frozen horror of his face
melted. The climber had reached the balcony and was unconcernedly
scattering a handful of grain over the narrow railing, while Allee
securely bound the wisp of hay to the balcony post. A great sigh of
relief escaped the watchers below, their hearts began to beat once more
and the red blood pounded through their veins.

"Oh," gasped the girl, "I thought sure she'd fall!"

"I didn't," declared the boy with a wise shake of his head. "She's a
reg'lar cat. I believe she could climb a wall. She's like that 'human
fly' the papers are always telling about. I'd like jolly well to see
_him_ do some of his stunts, you better believe!"

The President said nothing, but his mouth set in grim lines and a look
of determination replaced the fea