ing.

"Glorious day," she said, glancing impartially at her sisters. "Just
glorious! Why are you all hugging the register, may I ask? It is
perfect weather. Connie, you should be out-of-doors this minute, by
all means. Twins, aren't you grown-up enough to sit on chairs, or
won't your footies reach the floor?--Babbie, Eugene Babler, you know,
is coming to spend the evening, Prudence."

"What is going on to-night?" queried Prudence.

"Nothing is going on. That's why he is coming. It's too cold to
meander around outdoors these nights, and so we shall have to amuse
ourselves inside as best we can."

The whole family came to attention at this.

"Oh, goody!" cried Connie. "Let's make taffy, shall we, Fairy?"

"Certainly not. This isn't a children's party. You'll go to bed at
eight o'clock as usual, Connie mine.--Now, we must have something to
eat. The question is, What shall it be?"

"Yes," agreed Carol with enthusiasm,--Carol was always enthusiastic on
the subject of something to eat. "Yes, indeed, that is the question.
What shall we have?"

"You will likely have pleasant dreams, Carol," was the cool retort.
"Babbie did not invite himself to spend the evening with you, I
believe."

"Do you mean to suggest," demanded Lark with withering scorn, "that it
is your intention to shut yourself up alone with this--this creature,
excluding the rest of us?"

"Yes, and have refreshments for just you two?" cried Carol.

[Illustration: "Yes, and have refreshments for just you two?"]

"That is my intention most certainly. The twins and Connie will not
put in appearance at all. Prue will serve the refreshments, and will
eat with us. Babbie and I shall spend the evening in the front room."

"The front room?" echoed Prudence. "This room is much cheerier, and
more homelike."

"Well, Babbie isn't a member of the family, you know," said Fairy.

"You are doing your best," sniffed Carol.

"Now, you girls must understand right off, that things are different
here from what they were at Exminster. When boys came to the house
there they came to have a good time with the whole family. But here it
is very different. I've been looking around, and I've got on to the
system. The proper thing is to receive callers privately, without the
family en masse sitting by and superintending. That's etiquette, you
know. And one must always serve refreshments. More etiquette. Men
are such greedy animals, they do not care to