The Little Colonel's House Party

cle of moody faces. The four girls had been lounging in hammocks and chairs under the

licious breakfast and a good ride, and there is the tissue-paper party at Sally Fairfax's to-night t

since breakfast what had happened to make you all out of sorts. Lloyd looks as if she had been

a frown that Lloyd began singing in a tantalising tone,

exclaimed Eug

time to hear Lloyd's song and Eugenia's answer, "you are

pped over in the hammock, and, coverin

ting down in the hammock beside her and stroking the short soft hair soo

rl. I was only surprised to hear you sayin

olonel, "if Eu-Eugenia had been so mean to you all

ce we came out here, and Joyce has kept nagging at me, too. You've both made me feel so m

genia fumbled for her handkerchief and began moppi

n. "Is there anything serious the matter that you have

Lloyd. "My throat is soah and my eyes ache, a

nia, still dabbing her eyes with her ha

reached the crying stage yet, but I'm fast on the way toward it. Betty will be the o

ossibly could have been exposed, I should be afraid that you are all taking the measles. Doctor Fuller told me the other day that there are several children in the gypsy camp down wit

people, have you? Passed them on the road

obody answered, and in which Bett

me," insisted

bed the Little Colonel. "She mad

lifted her head defiantly as Mrs. Sh

surely didn't go to the camp that

le frightened now by the expression of

n wa

I think. I don't

her fingers. "I remember it because it was

ld woman's lap all the time she held my hand, and it kept turning its head from side to side, and fretting in a

d woman hold your hands?" asked Mrs. Sherman, lookin

etty didn't go, and she tried to keep us f

y's heart glow with pleasure, lighted Mrs. Sherman'

les, we will turn the house into a hospital at once. If the old saying is t

e measles," said Betty,

er. "It has brought its own punishment this time, so I'll not add a scolding. I'll leave the measles, if

his visit and pronounced his verdict. No parties for many a long day. Lloyd and Eugenia

lf. Once she slipped into the sewing-room where the tissue-paper costumes were laid out in readiness beside the dainty little flower-shaped hats.

a hat on her brown curls, and admiring it in the mirror. "I haven't got

a house pahty suah enough, I must say! Heah we are in the house, and heah

t be as bad as you think. The measles is done

ittle Colonel, "and it's so poky and tiah

ceased as her cool hand stroked the hot little forehead, and he

my baby, the nig

e waters that sp

godmother was singing it. There was the slow, restful, swinging motion of the waves in that music; the coolness o

ts billow, there s

flipperling, c

t wake thee, nor s

rms of the slow

the darkness. There were tears in her eyes. "Oh," she whispered, with a quivering lip, "if I o

emselves with. They would not have fared so well had it not been for Betty. Many an hour she spent in the dim room, when the summer was calling to her on every breeze to come out in its sunshine and be glad in its cheer. Many a

brought up. "I am always wondering what is coming next, for Cousin Elizabeth has never

g Christmas the year around. As he is the only child, and they'd give him the moon if they could reach

nia. "Those little souvenir spoons she sent up with the chocol

said Lloyd, as the jingling of silver and tin

r for the procession of tray bearers. "It is

h bearing a tray containing a simple lunch, in the centre of w

d. "Oh, girls, how that did fool me. I could have sworn that those were real lettuce leaves, and

he read a clever one that set them all to thinking. There was much laug

ce's turn, and the lunch was eaten in the midst of much la

ot. The sun beat against it all afternoon, and the water in the pitcher wouldn't stay cool. Sometimes I'd cry till my throat ached, wishing that I had a mother to sit beside me, and put her cool hands against my face, and rub my back when it ached, and sing me to sleep. And after I got better, and my appetite began to come back, I'd lie and watch the door for hours, it seemed to me, waiting for Cousin Hetty to come up with

bout eleven o'clock,-a slimy-looking little catfish,-and came running straight up to my room with it in his dirty little hands. He smelled so fishy I could scarcely stand it, for it was the day I felt the very worst. But he didn't know that. He climbed up o

e swallowed any of it, to save me, but I couldn't disappoint the little fellow when he had tried so hard to please me, so I had to ask him to leave it, and told him maybe I would feel more like eating after I had slept awhile. So he went out perfectly sat

't take the measles, and that was the only time I saw him while I was sick. I was alone all th

bad you can't have the measles all over again with us, here at the h

e's hoofs in the avenue, and a moment late

es," shouted

ourself!" she called back, laughingly

s. But I say, Lloyd, let down a basket or somethin

le basket made of braided sweet grass, and tied with many bows. "My skipping-r

eared at the window, and the basket was

, old boy!" With feet wide apart to balance himself, Rob carefully dropped something from

y, but he had cantered off down the avenue before

for "the surprise" was heavy. As she landed it safely and turned the b

ed toward her on its awkward paws. "They are so much alike we'll never be able to tell them apart unless we

ll not make any difference." The suggestion was received with applause, and Eugenia sent Eliot to her

sily over the floor, in their respective bows of pink, yellow, blue, and green. They afford

ard a carriage coming down the avenue. It, too, stopped under the window, and in a moment they recognised the twang

se on the air. Miss Allison had pa

that has

his neigh

have any

mea-sle

ill be joy

joyful, when his

but the personal allusions made them interesting to the girls, and there was a storm of applause from the upper windows after each one. Mrs. She

we might be down there now, having a share of the good time. What are you all laughing

far," adding, "Never mind, Lloyd, we'll come again to-morrow, and bring a travelli

asked Eugenia, as Lloyd drew in her head, and the

idea. There's nothing

d decided that their eyes were well enough to bear the light, and, at his visit, threw open several of the blinds. Mrs. Sherman drove down to the station, and Mom Beck went to the servants' cottage. Only Eliot was left to keep an eye on the invalids, and she had been invited to br

they thought that she must be having some kind of a fit. Her hands were thrown up, her mouth dropped open, there was a look of wild terror in her staring eyes, and her face was deathly

ever seen. Its mouth was open, and a long red tongue hung out between its gleaming teeth. Trailin

WILD SCREAM A

ard, crying in an imploring tone as she disappeared, "Oh, don't eat me! Don't eat me!" Joyce scrambled up on a high chest of drawers, and from there to the top of the wardrobe, where she sat panting and looking

scramble up from her knees, gave one more startled look at the intruder, and then sprang up with an angry cry. "It's that old

ral outcry, that her nervousness passed into a rage. Picking up the book that Betty had been reading, she hurled it at the astonished bear with all her force. Eliot's work-basket followed next, and the pillows from the bed and sofa. Next she tore off her slippers, and sen

led, assuringly. "He b'long to Mistah Keith an' Mistah Malcolm. They done tole me to lead him up heah, and I stopped to shet the gate a

nly an old tame beah. It stood up on its hind legs lookin' twice as big as usual, and when everybody screamed and carried on so, I didn't know what I was doi

ing her head slowly out from und

perch on that wardrobe, Joyce. It was only an old pet that the boys bought from a tramp one time. They keep it up at 'Fairchance,' the home that Mr. MacIntyre founded

g show," she said, weakly, "I wish they'd choose another road. I was that scared I couldn't have spoken a word if my life had depended on

, "you know we don't have wild beasts in these woods

a respectful distance. She was not at all sure about her safety after that, as long as she was in sight of the Kentucky woods. She could not be convinced that

nd for many days one had only to say, "Oh,