y morning was like." But before Amy could form a
sufficiently withering reply, a tiny bird, perched on the topmost bough
of a neighboring tree, had burst into such music that the little party
stood silenced, and even playful bickering was forgotten.

Something of the magic of the morning vanished, it must be confessed,
when the farewells could no longer be postponed, and the girls turned
their faces toward Dolittle Cottage. "The worst of nice things," said
Ruth crossly, "is that you miss them so when they stop."

"It's only half-past six now," announced Priscilla, consulting her
watch. "Goodness! What are we going to do with a day as long as this?"

"I know what I'm going to do with part of it," said Peggy. "I'm going to
give Lucy Haines a good boost on her algebra. There's been so much going
on since the boys came, that she's felt shy about dropping in. Afraid of
interfering, you know. But I sent word to her by Jerry, yesterday, that
I should expect her this afternoon."

As it proved, it was not a difficult matter to occupy the long day,
since each hour brought its own occupation and a little to spare. At the
threshold of the cottage they were met by startling news, Dorothy
hurrying out importantly to make the announcement.

"One of your little chickens has goned to Heaven, Aunt Peggy. A big bird
angel took it."

"What on earth does she mean?" Peggy demanded in a perplexity not
unnatural, considering the highly idealized character of Dorothy's
report. It was left to Aunt Abigail to translate the catastrophe into
prose. The Dolittle Cottagers were not the only early risers that fine
morning. A big hawk, up betimes, and looking for his breakfast, had
selected as a choice tit-bit, one of the yellow hen's fast diminishing
brood. Peggy felt that she could have borne it better had it not been
for the unimpaired cheerfulness of the yellow hen's demeanor.

The discussion of the tragedy delayed breakfast, and when the household
finally gathered about the round table, it was a little after the
regular breakfast hour rather than earlier. And, as sometimes happens,
dinner seemed to follow close on the heels of breakfast, and directly
after dinner, came Lucy Haines. Lucy's manner of accepting a kindness
always betrayed a little hesitancy, as if her independent spirit dreaded
the possibility of incurring too heavy a weight of obligation. But
usually after a little time in Peggy's society, that air of constraint
disappeared, g