rlotte's faults,
he made her sit down and listen while he read it aloud to the family.
Charlotte thought it was such a good joke on her father that she never
enlightened him till he'd repeated the performance several times. He
wouldn't believe it at first, didn't think it possible that Milly could
have written it, till Charlotte proved that she really had.

"If she could do that, I don't see why I couldn't write better advice to
boys than a doddering old man who has only his recollections to draw on.
I could criticize the faults that I see before me. Boys need to be shown
themselves as they appear to the girls, and I'm not sure but I'll act on
Norman's suggestion, and take it up as a side-line."

When supper was cleared away Mary brought out her writing material and
wrote several applications for the positions which she knew she was
qualified to fill. She could teach in the primary or grammar grades, or
take beginner's classes in Domestic Science. She knew that she could
adapt herself to almost any kind of person as companion, and her
experience with the Mallory twins made her confident that she could do
wonders with small children, no matter how refractory. She soon had a
whole fleet of applications ready to launch in the morning. Then,
inspired by the conversation at the supper-table, she tried her hand at
a few answers to imaginary correspondents, in which were set forth
certain criticisms and suggestions which she burned to make to Pink in
person, and several others which were peculiarly well fitted to Norman.

Next morning, when Norman came back from the store with the basket of
groceries which it was his daily task to bring, he began calling for
Mary at the front gate, and kept it up all the way to the kitchen door.
When she appeared, towel in hand, asking what was the matter, he set the
basket on the step.

Then with mock solemnity he reached into his pocket and pulled out a
lavender envelope; lavender crossed faintly with gray lines to give a
checked effect. It was addressed in purple ink to Miss Mary Ware, and in
the lower left-hand corner was written, with many ornate flourishes, "K.
O. B." It smelled so strongly of rose geranium perfume that Mary sniffed
disapprovingly as she took it.

"Pink asked me to bring it," said Norman with a grin. "He's to send a
boy up for an answer at three o'clock. What do you suppose 'K. O. B.'
stands for?"

Mary puzzled over it, shaking her head, then broke the large purple