ce, who usually spoke the first
thought that came into her head.

"If that's the case," retorted Angeline, with dignity, "you'd better all
walk out of this kitchen before you are entirely ruined."

As Angeline was evidently in earnest, the children slowly took their way
into the dining-room.

"Are there real live ghosts, though, Susy?" asked Dotty, anxiously; "and
if a bird comes to the window will you die?"

"Why, no, indeed, child! Mother told me once, when I was right little,
that I mustn't let people tell me such foolish stories. If Angeline
talks so to you, you must stop your ears. Now, remember!"

Dotty remembered; but she was not quite convinced. Those awful stories
might be true, after all; perhaps Susy didn't know.

CHAPTER V.

RUNNING WILD.

You begin to see how the children were running wild at Mrs. Eastman's.
One morning Dotty climbed the hat-tree to get away from her cousin
Percy.

"Don't believe 'cousin Dimple' knows a hat-tree wasn't made for little
girls to sit on," said Percy.

"No, 'twas made to swing on," replied Dotty, tilting herself backward
and forward like a bird on a bough. "I'm going to stay here till
somebody carries me off pick-aback."

Percy, having nothing better to do, took his little cousin on his
shoulders, danced her about the hall and through the house, and finally
tossed her backward into a pile of shavings. Dotty sprang up, shook off
the shavings, and ran after Percy, laughing so boisterously that
Angeline said to the chambermaid,--

"I know of one person that will be glad when Mrs. Parlin gets back."

"And I know of another," replied Janey. "The child behaved like a lady
when she first came; but what can you expect in this house with those
boys?"

"How's that bird?" said Percy, as he and Dotty raced through the
kitchen. "Can he stand on both legs yet?"

"Yes, indeed! He could stand on _three_ legs if he had 'em. He's most
well--I must go and 'tend to him."--("I wonder what's going to happen
that's bad," thought she, as she fed the bird in her own chamber with
cream biscuit. "I hope it isn't a fire!")--"Why, Johnny Eastman, I
shouldn't think your mamma'd let you scream so loud!"

"Then you must hear the first time. Come, let's go out and have some
fun; mother's gone to Cumberland."

As if Johnny did not have fun all day, and every day, whether his mother
was at home or abroad!

"Prudy," said Dotty, "good by, for Johnny 'n' I are going down to the
beac