The Corner House Girls Growing Up

by Grace Brooks Hill

  CHAPTER XXIV

  IT ENGAGES AUNT SARAH'S ATTENTION

  Ruth, as has been said, was away from the house when this dreadful thinghappened to Tom Jonah. Uncle Rufus was too lame to have followed the dogcatchers' van in any case, had he seen the capture of their pet.

  But Mrs. MacCall and Aunt Sarah were sitting together sewing in thelatter's big front room over the dining-room of the Corner House.Looking out of the window by which she sat, and biting off a threadreflectively, the housekeeper said:

  "It's on my mind, Miss Maltby, that our Ruth is not so chirpy as sheused to be."

  "She's growing up," said Aunt Sarah. "I'll be glad when they're allgrown up." And then she added something that would have quite shockedall four of the Corner House girls. "I'll be glad when they are allgrown up, and married, and settled down."

  "My certie! but you are in haste, woman," gasped the housekeeper. "Andit sounds right-down wicked. Wishing the bairns' lives away."

  "Do you realize what it's going to mean--these next four or five years?"snapped Aunt Sarah.

  "In what way, Miss Maltby?" asked Mrs. MacCall.

  "For us," said Aunt Sarah, nodding emphatically. "We're going to havethe house cluttered up with boys and young men who will want to marry mynieces."

  "Lawk!" gasped the housekeeper. "Will they be standin' in line, thinkyou? Not but the bonny lassies deserve the best there is--"

  "Which isn't saying much when it comes to a choice of _men_," Aunt Sarahsniffed.

  "Well," returned Mrs. MacCall, slowly, "of course there'll be noneworthy of the lassies. None who deserves our Ruthie. Yet--I'mthinkin'--that that young laddie that was here now--you know, MissMaltby. Luke Shepard."

  "A likeable boy," admitted Aunt Sarah, and that was high praise from thecritical spinster.

  "Aye," Mrs. MacCall hastened to say, "a very fine young man indeed. AndI am moved to say Ruthie liked him."

  "Eh!" exclaimed Aunt Sarah.

  "You maybe didn't see it. It was plain to me. They two were very fond ofeach other. Yes, indeed!"

  "My niece _fond_ of a boy?" gasped the spinster, bridling.

  "Why! were ye not just now speakin' of such a possibeelity?" demandedthe housekeeper, and in her surprise, dropping for the moment into broadScotch. "And they are baith of them old enough tae be thinkin' ofmatin'. Yes!"

  Aunt Sarah still stared in amazement. "Can it be _that_ that seems tohave changed Ruth so?" she asked at last.

  "You've noticed it?" cried the Scotchwoman.

  "Yes. As you have suggested, she seems down-hearted. But why--"

  "There's something that went wrong. 'Love's young dream,' as they say,is having a partial eclipse, so it is! I see no letters comin' from thatcollege where the laddie has gone."

  "But she hears from Cecile Shepard," said Aunt Sarah. "She reads meextracts from Cecile's letters. A very lively and pleasant girl isCecile."

  "So she is," admitted the housekeeper. "But I'm a sight more interestedin the laddie. Why doesn't he write?"

  "Why--er--would that be quite the thing, Mrs. MacCall?" asked AuntSarah, momentarily losing much of her grimness and seemingly somewhatfluttered by this discussion of Ruth's affair.

  "'Twould be almost necessary, Miss Maltby, I can tell you, if he was aladdie of mine," declared the Scotchwoman vigorously. "I'd no have asweetheart that was either tongue-tied or unable to write."

  "Oh, but you take too much for granted," cried Aunt Sarah.

  "My observation tells me the two of them are fair lost on each other. Iwatched 'em while young Shepard was here. It's true they are young; butthey'll never be younger, and it's the young lovin' and matin' was madefor--not for old bodies."

  "You--you quite surprise me," said Aunt Sarah.

  "You'd best get over your surprise, Miss Maltby," said the verypractical housekeeper. "You should have your eyes opened. You should seethem together again."

  "Why not?" demanded Aunt Sarah, suddenly.

  "Why not what?"

  "Let the children have Cecile and her brother here for over Sunday--fora week end. Let them give a little party. I am sure I loved parties whenI was a young girl and lived at this Corner House, when mother wasalive."

  "It's a good idea," said the housekeeper. "I'll make some layer cakesfor the party. We'll not need to go to the expense of a caterer--"

  She would have gone on immediately planning for the affair had she not,on glancing through the window, seen the dog catchers' green vanrattling over the crossing of Main Street.

  "There's those dog catchers!" she exclaimed. "I wonder if Tom Jonah'ssafe. There are some children running and crying after it--they've losta pet I've no doubt."

  Then suddenly she sprang to her feet.

  "Miss Maltby!" she cried. "'Tis our Tess and Dot--and Sammy Pinkney, thelittle scamp! It must be either his bulldog or old Tom Jonah thosepestilent men have caught."

  Aunt Sarah had very good eyes indeed. She had already spied the partyand she could see in the back of the van.

  "It is Tom Jonah!" she exclaimed. "They must be stopped. How dared thosemen take our dog?"

  Mrs. MacCall, who had no shoes on, could not hurry out. But Aunt Sarahwas dressed for company as she always was in the afternoon. She amazedthe sputtering housekeeper by stopping only to throw a fleecy hood overher hair before hurrying out of the front door of the Corner House.

  Aunt Sarah Maltby seldom left the premises save for church on Sunday.She did not even ride much in the girls' motor-car. She had made up hermind that an automobile was an unnecessary luxury and a "new-fanglednotion" anyway; therefore she seldom allowed herself to be coaxed intothe car.

  She never went calling, claiming vigorously that she was "no gadabout,she hoped." It was an astonishing sight, therefore, to see her marchingalong Willow Street in the wake of the crying, excited children, whothemselves followed in the wake of the dog catchers' van.

  The van traveled so fast that Tess and Dot and Sammy could scarcely keepit in sight; while the children were so far ahead of Aunt Sarah that theold woman could not attract their attention when she called.

  It was a most embarrassing situation, to say the least. To add to itsridiculousness, Mrs. MacCall met Agnes as she came in swinging herbooks, and told her at the side door what had happened.

  Agnes flung down her books and "hoo-hooed" with all her might for NealeO'Neil. As soon as he answered, sticking his head out of his littlebedroom window under the eaves of Con Murphy's cottage, Agnes left thehousekeeper and the excited Finnish girl to explain the difficulty toNeale, while she ran after Aunt Sarah.

  Soon, therefore, there was a procession of excited Corner House folktrailing through the Milton Streets to the pound. Sammy and the twolittle girls trotting on behind the dog catchers' van; then Aunt SarahMaltby, looking neither to right nor left but appearing very sternindeed; then Agnes running as hard as she could run; followed by Nealeat a steady lope.

  The boy soon overtook his girl chum.

  "What under the canopy are we going to do?" he demanded.

  "Save Tom Jonah!" declared Agnes, her cheeks blazing.

  "The kids are going to do that," chuckled Neale in spite of hisshortness of breath. "Guess we'd better save Aunt Sarah, hadn't we?"

  "Goodness, Neale!" giggled Agnes, "they won't try to shut _her_ up inthe pound I should hope."

  They did not overtake the determined woman before she was in sight ofthe dog refuge. The van had driven into the yard. Before the gate couldbe shut Tess, followed closely by the trembling Dot and by the more orless valiant Sammy, pushed through likewise and faced the superintendentof the lost dog department.

  "What do you little folks want?" asked this kindly man, smiling downupon the trio.

  "We want Tom Jonah," said Tess, her voice quivering but her manner stillbrave.

  "You've just got to give us Tom Jonah," Dot added, gulping down a sob.

  "You bet you have!" said Sammy, clenching his fists.

  "'Tom Jonah'?" repeated the man. "Is that a dog
?"

  Tess pointed. There was Tom Jonah at the screened door of the van.

  "That's him," she said. "He never did anybody any harm. These men just_stole_ him."

  That was pretty strong language for Tess Kenway to use; but she wasgreatly overwrought.

  "You mean they took him out of your yard?"

  "They took him off'n the street," said Sammy. "But he'd only jumped thefence because he saw us comin' home from school."

  "He isn't muzzled," said the man.

  "He--he don't bite," wailed Dot. "He--he ain't got any teeth to bite!"

  He was an old dog as the superintendent could see. Besides, he knew thathis men were more eager to secure the fines than they were to be kindor fair to the owners of dogs.

  "How about this, Harry?" he asked the driver of the van.

  "The dog's ugly as sin," growled the man. "Ain't he, Bill?"

  "Tried to chew me up," declared the man with the net.

  "Say!" blurted out Sammy, "wouldn't _you_ try to chew a feller up if hecaught you in a fish-net and dragged you to a wagon like that? Huh!"

  Harry burst out laughing. The superintendent said, quietly:

  "Let the big dog out."

  "Not me, Boss," said Bill, backing away. "That dog's got it in for me."

  "Let me!" exclaimed Tess. "Tom Jonah would not bite any of us--not evenif he had hydrophobia. No, sir!"

  "Of course he wouldn't!" acclaimed Dot. "But he couldn't havehydro--hydro-- Well, whatever that is."

  "Keep those other dogs back, Bill, and let the little girl have her TomJonah," said the superintendent. "I guess there's been a mistake. Theseare the Corner House girls, and that is their old dog. I remember him.He wouldn't harm a fly."

  "No. But he'd chaw the leg off'n me, Boss," said Bill, who did not likedogs and therefore was afraid of them. "Besides, all's fish that comesinto _my_ net, you know."

  "Go away," commanded the other man, taking the long pole himself. "Iwill let him out."

  "Oh, Tom Jonah!" cried Tess, running to the door of the van. "Be goodnow. The man is going to let you out and we will take you home."

  The old dog stopped whining but he did not, as Sammy whispered to Dot,look any too pleasant. When the superintendent opened the door, aftercrowding back the smaller dogs that filled the van, Tess called to TomJonah to come out. He leaped down. The next instant he whirled and wouldhave charged the two men who had caused him such discomfort anddisgrace, his jaws emitting terrific growls.

  "Stop, Tom Jonah!" from Tess and Dot, and "Cut it out, Tom Jonah!" fromSammy, were all that saved the day. The dog had never yet been cowed ofspirit and, old as he was, he would have attacked a lion, let alone apair of faint-hearted rowdies.

  "Take my advice, boys," said the superintendent of the pound. "Don't goaround that block by the old Corner House again. This old fellow willnot forget either of you."

  "He ought to be shot," growled Bill.

  "You do such a thing--such a desperately wicked thing!" exclaimed asharp voice, "and I will see that you are prosecuted to the full extentof the law."

  It was Aunt Sarah who appeared like an angel of wrath at the gateway.

  "Mr. Howbridge shall know about your actions--you two men there! And asfor you," the indignant old woman added, fixing her gaze upon thesuperintendent of the pound, "let me tell you that the Stower estatemakes a contribution yearly to your Society, which contribution partlypays your salary. I hold _you_ responsible for the character of the menyou engage to collect the poor dogs who are neglected and who have nohomes. They are not supposed to take the pets of people who amply carefor dumb animals. Another occasion like this and you will hear fromit--mark my word, sir!"

  "Oh, my!" sighed Dot, afterward, her eyes still round with wonder, "Inever did suppose Aunt Sarah could speak so big. Isn't she justwonnerful?"

  While the children were caressing Tom Jonah and the superintendent wasstriving to pacify the indignant Aunt Sarah, Agnes and Neale camepanting to the pound.

  "Guess it's all over but the shouting," said Neale, with satisfaction."Down, Tom Jonah! Down, with you! Don't jump all over my best suit ofclothes."

  "And spare me your kisses, good old fellow!" begged Agnes. "We know justhow glad you are to get out of jail. Who wouldn't be?"

  "Je-ru-sa-_lem_!" ejaculated Sammy Pinkney; "who'd ha' thought of TomJonah getting pinched?"

  Before the party got away from the pound, Ruth came racing down in theautomobile. Returning from her first drive alone as a licensedchauffeur, she had heard of the family's migration to the pound and hadcome in haste to the rescue of Tom Jonah--and the remainder of theCorner House party.

  "For goodness' sake! do get into the automobile and act as though we'djust come for a ride," exclaimed the oldest Corner House girl. "Did everany one hear of such ridiculous things as happen to us?"

  "You need not be so snippy," said Agnes, in some heat. "If Tom Jonah hadactually been put into that awful gas chamber they tell about--"

  "They don't do such things until it is positive that nobody will claimthe dog--unless he really is afflicted with rabies," Ruth said. "I'msurprised at Aunt Sarah."

  "You needn't be, young lady," said Miss Maltby. "You needn't besurprised at anything I may do. I have long known that I belonged to afamily of crazy people, and now I guess I've proved myself as crazy asany of you."

  However, they could laugh at it after a while. And they did not begrudgeany trouble to save poor old Tom Jonah from inconvenience. While thechildren were away at school thereafter they were careful to put theold dog on a long leash in a shady corner of the yard.

  After all, Tom Jonah had been a vagabond for a good part of his life,and old as he was sometimes the spirit of what Agnes called "thewanderlust" (she was just beginning German) came over him and he wouldgo away to visit friends for two or three days at a time.

  "He'll go visiting no more at present," Ruth said with decision.

  However, other plans for visiting progressed. Aunt Sarah and Mrs.MacCall proceeded to carry out their conspiracy. The suggestion was madeat just the right time, and in the right way, for Cecile and Luke to beinvited to the old Corner House for a week-end party, and the partyitself was planned.

  So it came to pass that Cecile Shepard wrote her brother Luke that verynext week:

  "I suppose, Luke dear, you have received your invitation to Ruth's party. Of course, dear boy, we must both go. I would not disappoint or offend her for the world--nor must you. Buck up, old pal! This is a hard row to hoe, but I guess you'll have to hoe it alone. I can only sit on the fence and root for you.

  "Aunt Lorena declares the world is coming to an end. Neighbor sent Samri over to the house to ask Auntie what Ruth's last name was and how to find her. He was so mad with you that night you told him, he evidently did not catch her name. And then, Aunt Lorena says, the very next morning Neighbor started out and was gone all day.

  "He could not have gone to see Ruth. Of course not! Certain sure if he had, I should have heard of it from either Ruth herself or from Agnes. But he _might_ have gone to Milton to make inquiries about her.

  "However, I am afraid whatever he did that day he was away, it did not please him. He returned about dark, blew up Samri in the yard for some little thing, rampaged around in his most awful way, and finally, Aunt Lorena says, she could hear him scolding the butler all through dinner and half the evening. Then, she believes, the poor old Jap crept into the toolshed to spend the rest of the night out of sound of his master's voice."

  Luke would certainly not have gone to Milton and to the Corner House atthis time save that he, like his sister, could not offend those who hadbeen so kind to him there. And he was hungry for a sight of Ruth!

  Seeing her, he feared, would not aid him to be manly and put his desiresaside while he fought his way through college. He knew that Neighborwould do exactly what he had said. Never could he look to the oldgentleman for a friendly word, o
r a bit of help over a hard financialplace again. As Mr. Henry Northrup was so fond of saying, he always saidwhat he meant and meant what he said!

  The party was to be on Saturday evening, and the Friday when theShepards had promised to arrive at the Corner House came, and Luke andCecile went their separate ways to Milton by train. As he had not sentword by just what train he would arrive the young man did not expectanybody to meet him. He walked up from the station with his suitcase andcame in sight of the old Corner House without being spied by anybody onthe premises.

  A wintry wind was blowing, and the great shade trees about the housewere almost bare of leaves. Yet the Stower homestead could never lookanything but cheerful and homelike. Luke quickened his pace as heapproached the gate. There was somebody inside that old house, he wasquite sure, whom he longed desperately to see.

  He opened the gate and swung up the walk to the door. Bounding up thesteps he reached forth his hand to touch the annunciator button when hecaught sight of something standing on the porch beside thedoor--something that brought a gasp of amazement from his lips andactually caused him to turn pale.

  CHAPTER XXV

  LOOKING AHEAD

  Ruth had become quite excited over the prospect of the coming party. Ofcourse, not as excited as Agnes, but sufficiently so to become more likeher oldtime self.

  She went about with a smile on her lips and a gleam in her eyes that hadbeen missing of late. Agnes hinted that she must have some particularreason for being so "chipper."

  "Somebody's coming you like, Ruthie Kenway!" the next oldest sisterdeclared.

  For once Ruth did not deny the accusation. She merely blushed faintlyand said nothing.

  Friday afternoon was a particularly busy time for Ruth. She found somethings had been forgotten and she went down town to attend to them. Shewalked, and in coming back, hastening up Main Street, at the corner ofthe avenue that gave a glimpse of the railroad station, she came face toface with the queer old gentleman of the green umbrella!

  "Ha!" ejaculated the old man, stopping abruptly. "So! I find you atlast, do I?"

  "Ye-yes, sir," stammered Ruth.

  To tell the truth, he looked so fierce, he had such a hawklike eye, andhe spoke so harshly that he fairly frightened the oldest Corner Housegirl. She felt as though he must think she had been hiding from himpurposely.

  "I was in your town here once before looking for you. You were not to befound," he said.

  "Ye-yes, sir," admitted Ruth. "I guess I was out that day."

  "Out? I didn't know where to hunt for you," growled the old man, shakingthe green umbrella and looking as fierce, Ruth thought, as though hemight like to shake her in the same way.

  "Ye-yes, sir," she stammered.

  "Don't say that again!" roared the stranger. "Speak sensibly. Or are youas big a fool as most other females!"

  At that Ruth grew rather piqued. She regained her self-possession andbegan to study the old man.

  "I'm not sure how foolish you consider all women to be, sir," she said."Perhaps I am merely an average girl."

  "No. I'll be bound you've more sense than some," he grumbled. "Otherwiseyou wouldn't have pulled me back from that train. I'd have been run overlike enough."

  "I'm glad you think I helped you," said Ruth simply.

  "Heh? What are you glad for?"

  "Because I like to have people feel grateful to me and like me,"confessed Ruth frankly.

  "Hey-day!" exclaimed the old gentleman. "Here's plainness of speech. Isuppose you think I am rich and that I have come to reward you?"

  "I thought you had come to thank me, not insult me," the girl said, withdignity. "You cannot give me money."

  "You are a wealthy girl, then?"

  "We have all the money we shall ever need," said Ruth. "It really doesnot matter, does it, sir? If you have thanked me sufficiently, I will goon."

  "Hoity-toity!" he snarled. "You are one of these very smart moderngirls, I see. And wealthy, too? Where do you live?"

  "I am going home now, sir. You know where I live," said Ruth insurprise.

  "Heh? I'll go with you. I want to talk with your folks."

  "I really do not understand your object. I have no parents, sir," saidRuth, a little angry by this time. "If you wish to see our lawyer--"

  "Haven't you anybody?"

  "I have sisters and an aunt and a guardian--our lawyer," said Ruth notat all pleased to be obliged to satisfy the curiosity of the old manwith the green umbrella.

  He walked on beside her and there really seemed no way to escape him.She thought it strange that he cared to come to the house again, havingalready been there once and interviewed Mrs. MacCall.

  When they came in sight of the old Corner House Ruth heard the oldgentleman utter an exclamation as though he recognized it. Then, whenshe stopped at the gate he demanded:

  "So you live here?"

  "Of course I do," Ruth replied rather sharply for her.

  She opened the gate and passed through. She did not ask him to enter;but he came in just the same, green umbrella and all. He walked besideher up the path and up the steps to the door. Then as she turned to facehim he grumbled:

  "So I suppose you're going to tell me that you are Ruth Kenway?"

  "That is my name, sir."

  "Humph! So, the boy _has_ got some sense, after all," muttered the oldman.

  Ruth suddenly felt that there was a deep meaning in the old man's lookand a reason for his curiosity. She asked faintly:

  "What boy, sir? Whom do you mean?"

  "That whippersnapper, Luke Shepard."

  "Oh!" Ruth exclaimed. "_You are Neighbor!_"

  So that is why Luke, coming half an hour later to this very front door,spied the green umbrella and Mr. Henry Northrup's great overshoesstanding together on the porch of the old Corner House.

  Luke did not know at first whether it would be best to ring the bell orto run. He wavered for several minutes, undecided. Then suddenly NealeO'Neil, rounding the corner of the house, caught sight of him.

  "Hullo!" shouted the ex-circus boy. "Lost, strayed, or stolen? The girlshave been looking for you. Your sister is here already."

  "Sh!" whispered Luke, beckoning frantically. "Somebody else is here,too."

  "Crickey, yes! You know the old chap? Northrup's his name. He looks ashard as nails, but our Ruth's got him feeding out of her hand already.Oh, Ruth is some charmer!"

  Luke fairly fell up against Neale.

  "Charmed Neighbor?" he gasped. "Then Aunt Lorena's right! The world _is_coming to an end."

  Of course, it did not! At least, not just then. But when Luke presentedhimself in the sitting-room of the old Corner House and found Mr.Northrup and Ruth in quiet conversation, the young man felt that he mustbe walking in a dream.

  "You here, Neighbor?" he said, rather shakingly.

  "Why, yes," said Mr. Northrup calmly. "You see, Miss Ruth is rather afriend of mine. Ahem! At least, she did me a favor some time ago, and inhunting her up to thank her, I find that she is a very dear friend ofyour sister and yourself, Luke."

  "Er--yes?" questioned Luke, still a little tremulous in his speech.

  "Ahem!" said Mr. Northrup again, staring hard at the young man. "Yourfriend Miss Ruth has invited me to remain to dinner and meet her sistersand--ahem!--the rest of her family. I hope you have no objection, Luke?"with sarcasm.

  "Oh, no, Neighbor! Oh, no, indeed!" Luke hastened to say.

  To the amazement of Luke and Cecile Shepard Mr. Northrup appeared verywell indeed at dinner that night in the Corner House. They learned hecould be very entertaining if he wished; that he had not forgotten howto interest women if he had been a recluse for so long; and that evenTess and Dot found something about him to admire. The former saidafterward that Mr. Northrup had a voice like a distant drum; Dot said hehad a "noble looking forehead," meaning that it was very high and bald.

  Mr. Northrup and Aunt Sarah were wonderfully polite to each other. Mrs.MacCall had her suspicions of the old gentleman, rememberin
g theumbrella and the occasion of his first call when, she considered, he hadentered the house under false pretenses.

  Luke went to the evening train with his old friend, and Mr. Northrup'smellowed spirit remained with him--for the time at least.

  "She is a smart girl, Luke. I always thought you had a little goodsense in your makeup, and I believe you've proved it. But remember,boy," added the man, shaking an admonitory finger at him, "remember,you're to stick to your fancy. No changing around from one girl toanother. If you dare to I'll disown you-- I'll disown you just as I saidI should if you hadn't picked out the girl you have."

  "Good gracious, Neighbor!" gasped the young man, "I--I don't even knowif Ruth will have me."

  "Huh! You don't? Well, young man," said the old gentleman in disgust atLuke's dilatoriness, "_I do!_"

  Perhaps Mr. Henry Northrup's very positiveness upon this point spurredLuke to find an opportunity during this week-end visit to the old CornerHouse to open his heart to Ruth. In return the girl was frank enough totell him just how glad she was that he had acted as he had beforeknowing that Neighbor would approve.

  "For of course, Luke, money doesn't have to enter the question at all.Nevertheless, I know you will desire to be established in some businessbefore we are really _serious_ about this thing."

  "Serious, Ruth!" exclaimed the young man. "Well-- I don't know. Seems tome I've never been really serious about anything in my life before."

  Though she spoke so very cautiously about their understanding, RuthKenway sent Luke back to college Sunday evening knowing that shecoincided with his plans and hopes perfectly.

  The party on Saturday night--the first of several evening entertainmentsthe girls gave that winter--was a very delightful gathering. Thevisitors from out of town enjoyed themselves particularly because thebugbear of Neighbor's opposition to Luke's desires had been dissipated.

  "Lucky boy, Luke," his sister told him. "And you may thank Ruthie Kenwayfor your happiness in more senses than one. It was she who charmed yourcrochety old friend. No other girl could have done it."

  "Don't you suppose I know that?" he asked her, with scorn.

  That party, of course, was enjoyable for the smaller Corner House girlsas well as for their elders. There was nothing really good that Tess andDot ever missed if Ruth and Agnes had it in their power to please theirsmaller sisters.

  "It's most as good as having a party of our very own," sighed Tess, asshe and Dot and Sammy Pinkney sat at the head of the front stairs withplates of ice cream and cake in their small laps.

  "It's better," declared Dot. "'Cause we can just eat and eat and nothave to worry whether the others are getting enough."

  "Why, Dot Kenway!" murmured Tess. "That sounds awful--awful piggish."

  "Nop," said Sammy. "She's right, Tess. You see, Dot means that shereally can have a better time if there isn't anything to worry about.Now, there was that day we went off and took a ride on that canalboat."

  "Being pirates," put in Dot, with a reminiscent sigh.

  "Yep," went on the philosophic Sammy. "We'd have had an awful nice dayif there'd been nothing to worry us. Wouldn't we, Dot?"

  "I--I guess so," agreed the smallest Corner House girl slowly. "But justthe same, Sammy Pinkney, I'm never going to run off to be pirates withyou again. Ruthie says it isn't ladylike," she finished with an air of"be it ever so painful, ladylike I must be."

  "Humph!" sniffed Sammy, "you won't get another chance. I ain't going totake any girl pirating when I go again. I don't want girls on a pirateship."

  "Oh, Sammy!" said Dot, "you sound just like that Mr. Neighbor Northrup.You know, Mr. Luke's friend. The misogynist."

  "Huh!" grunted Sammy, scowling.

  "But--but," Tess questioned softly, "Mr. Northrup's cured of thatdisease, isn't he?"

  THE END

  CHARMING STORIES FOR GIRLS

  The Corner House Girls Series

  By GRACE BROOKS HILL

  Four girls from eight to fourteen years of age receive word that a richbachelor uncle has died, leaving them the old Corner House he occupied.They move into it and then the fun begins. What they find and do willprovoke many a hearty laugh. Later, they enter school and make manyfriends. One of these invites the girls to spend a few weeks at abungalow owned by her parents, and the adventures they meet with makevery interesting reading. Clean, wholesome stories of humor andadventure, sure to appeal to all young girls.

  1 CORNER HOUSE GIRLS. 2 CORNER HOUSE GIRLS AT SCHOOL. 3 CORNER HOUSE GIRLS UNDER CANVAS. 4 CORNER HOUSE GIRLS IN A PLAY. 5 CORNER HOUSE GIRLS' ODD FIND. 6 CORNER HOUSE GIRLS ON A TOUR. 7 CORNER HOUSE GIRLS GROWING UP. 8 CORNER HOUSE GIRLS SNOWBOUND. 9 CORNER HOUSE GIRLS ON A HOUSEBOAT. 10 CORNER HOUSE GIRLS AMONG THE GYPSIES. 11 CORNER HOUSE GIRLS ON PALM ISLAND. 12 THE CORNER HOUSE GIRLS SOLVE A MYSTERY.

  "THE POLLY" SERIES

  By DOROTHY WHITEHILL

  Polly Pendleton is a resourceful, wide-awake American girl who goes to aboarding school on the Hudson River some miles above New York. By herpluck and resourcefulness, she soon makes a place for herself and thisshe holds right through the course. The account of boarding school lifeis faithful and pleasing and will attract every girl in her teens.

  Cloth, large 12 mo. Illustrated

  1 POLLY'S FIRST YEAR AT BOARDING SCHOOL 2 POLLY'S SUMMER VACATION 3 POLLY'S SENIOR YEAR AT BOARDING SCHOOL 4 POLLY SEES THE WORLD AT WAR 5 POLLY AND LOIS 6 POLLY AND BOB 7 POLLY'S RE-UNION 8 POLLY'S POLLY

  BARSE & HOPKINSPublishersNew York, N. Y.Newark, N. J.