rning and said it was time for me to act like I was growing up now. She said many a girl as big as me could pick a chicken and I c

so, but she said for goodness' sake not to get that idea into my head, for girls that were always complaining about being "misunderstood" were the kind that got divorces from their husbands afterward. I know this won't be the way with me, though, for I expect to live on good terms with Sir Reginald, a

ead and let a pair of Cousin Eunice's last year's bedroom slippers represent Romeo with fur around the top. They are the kind he wore the night they took me to see him and are all I can find in the

r decided to move to the city and take Mammy Lou and spend the winter and all the other winters until I could get educated and live in a flat. So we went, m

at the depot where they went to tell Mammy Lou good-by that a drummer

to warm your feet, nor to pop corn. In fact, there are more places where you can't do things than where you can. Rufe took us to every one in town nearly, and mammy paid particular attention to how the kitchens

e country whar slop is called

either one of them saying it first, for both of their feet were sore from looki

lats," father said, after the elevator had put us

way look in his eyes, like he might be thinking o

ike a young girl in a book that at first I was delighted. A governess is a very clean person that always expects you to be the same. Only in books they are usually drab-colored young ladies without any nice clothes or parents, but the son

d to have something on her mind; this is very unusual for a young girl, so I tried to find out what the cause of it was. One day at the dinner table when she had been here about two weeks father remarked that I was learning faster from her than I ever had, and he hoped that

want to marry, as all right-minded women married once and extra smart ones married as often as there was any occasion to! Instead of sm

k to mammy during the cooking her mind was sti

short of it is that pore child's been fooled! I know them symptoms! She's been fooled and she's grievin' over it. T

y governess proving false! I told mammy maybe he had just die

to do. Thar ain't nothin' no excuse for not marryin' in this world," she kept on, "be it male or

tal faculties" and they would never be able to make a chicken-picking person out of me. I'm going to keep it right here in the drawer and jot down everything I see, although I am convinced that the lover is dead. Julius a

ew days she and I didn't have any congenial things to talk about except them and tiny Waterloo. Waterloo's little name by rights is Rufus Clayborne, Junior, and he occurred at a time when I wasn't keeping my diary; but my grandchildren wo

arth conquer you. Rufe bragged particularly about nothing being able to conquer him or get him in a bad temper, he had so much poise

us he said, "I've met my Waterloo!"

le trouble about the editorials. An editorial is a smart remark opposite the

anything done. "Oh, for a mammoth haystack where I might thrust my head to drown the

; so go on with your work," Cousin Eunice said,

lightly," Rufe called to her as she got to the door. "Seriously

their can of gasolene-that's the latter-day equivalent for hay!" Cousin Eu

getting any letters from young men and looking lonesome at times and not wearing any diamond engagement ring. I'm sure he gave her one, but maybe his wicked kinfolks made her give it back to them after the funeral. Or maybe she buried it in his grave. I don't know why Miss Wilburn never talks about him for one of our neighbors talks all the time about her husband which was killed in the war. I used to be delighted to hear her commence telling about him. He was killed at

reckon they'll have me arrested for writing just a short poem by the same name. We have some nature study every morning in the woods, which is one of the best things about having a governess. She lets me do just as I like, so I took my tablet and while she was writing some history questions I composed on my poem. It is very discouraging work, though, to write about widows, for there's nothing on earth that will rhyme with them. I got

aid well, it might be that I was right, for the girl did seem to have something preying on her mind. But she said such subjects were not suitable for children of my age to be writing about and that I ought to write about violets and sparrows. I said then would she please find out fr

hone and grabbed his hat. It was night, for Rufe's paper is a morning one that works its men at night, and didn't wait for a car, but jumped into a carriage, which costs like smoke. He drove by Doctor Gordon's house and told the driver to run in and tell Doctor Gordon to come right on and drive to his house with him, as his baby was very sick, although Doctor Gordon has an automobile of his own. He and Ann Lisbeth happened to have a few friends in to play cards with them that night, but when she heard the news ab

story, so I'm going to stop and sharpen my pencil, for I despi

t so at all, if people hadn't just misunderstood me. Anyhow, it may make me "

n town right after train time and get the mail? We said yes and Marcella, who was with us, said she would be glad to go in that direct

dy but one strange man and he was talking to Julius like he knew him. When we passed by Julius spoke to us and I noticed that the strange man looked at Miss Wilburn and looked surprised. All in a minute I t

said it made him feel weak in the knees to hear such a thing, and Julius commenced saying something about it must be a mistake then, but Mr. White said no, he guessed it was so, for Mr. Creighton had looked awful pale and thin, like he might be going into consumption. Julius said well he was certain his wife had told him something about Miss Wilburn having a dead lover, but he hadn't paid much attention to what she was saying, like most married men; but it surely couldn't be so. By that time Mr. White was moving down the street to where we were and was asking Julius to introduce him to Miss Wilburn, so he could find out the particulars about poor old Creighton. I will give Julius cr

Young, here, was

up, looking awfully uncomfortable, "but I remember my

ied-lady tone, "you promised me that you wouldn't

ul?" Miss Wilburn said in a low, strangled v

told her, for Julius and the rest of them looked l

she said, poor thing! And I felt awful sorry for

was plumb dead, so I told her we thou

I've been here! Oh, it serves me right for acting such an idiot as to run off down

ept wishing in my mind that it was the first day of April so I could say "April Fool," or an earthquake would happen or anything else to pass it off; but didn't anything happen, so I had to stand the

to each other, each one of us talking as hard as we could; and Julius remarked wha

could. Mother saw her from the window and she and mammy ran down to where we were to see what it was all about. She patted Miss Wilburn on the back and on the head

story was told, "tell us about him, for talking will do you good

arcella had left us and we were going on up the walk. "It was silly of me, for all the time I've be

g on fast to make the tea, "you loves hi