ould eat hay with the cattle."

After all, the young cooks were fairly successful, and the delay not
very great. Most of them were well trained helpers at home, even
Dorothy had been such; but this time she had failed.

"Three times I've made those things just exactly like the rule--only
four times as much--and those miserable pop-overs just will not pop!
We might as well call the boys and give them what there is. And----"

At this moment Dorothy withdrew her head from a careful scrutiny of
the oven, and--screamed! The next instant she had darted forward to
the imposing figure framed in the doorway and thrown her arms about
it, crying:

"O, Aunt Betty, Aunt Betty! I'm a bad, careless girl, but I love you
and I'm so glad, so glad you've come!"

CHAPTER XIV

AUNT BETTY TAKES A HAND

That picnic-supper! The fun of it must be imagined, not described.
Sufficient to say that it was the merriest meal yet served in that
great mansion; that all, including Mrs. Calvert, brought to it
appetites which did not hesitate at "failures," and found even
Helena's angel cake palatable, though Herbert did remark to his next
neighbor:

"If they'd had that kind of leathery stuff instead of canvas to cover
that circus tent it would never have broken through, never in the
world!"

Not the least delighted of that company were the servants, who
returned late from their outing, and had had to walk up the mountain
from the Landing; they having lingered in the hill-city till the last
possible train, which there were no local stages to meet.

"And to think that our Miss Dorothy had the kindness to get supper for
us, too! Sure, she's the bonniest, dearest lass ever lived out of old
Ireland. Hungry, say you? Sure I could have et the two shoes off my
feet, I was that starved! And to think of her and them others just
waitin' on us same's if we was the family! Bless her! And now I'm
that filled I feel at peace with all the world and patience enough to
chase them naughty spalpeens to their bed! See at 'em! As wide awake
now as the morn and it past nine of the night!" cried Norah, coming
into the room where the twins were having a delightful battle with the
best sofa cushions; Mrs. Calvert looking on with much amusement and as
yet not informed who they were and why so at home at Deerhurst.

The chatter of tongues halted a little when, as the clock struck the
half-hour, Mr. Seth came in. He looked very weary, but infinitely
relieved at