The Corner House Girls on a Houseboat

attic, were those whiffs and fragrant zephyrs. Some of them even escaped through the open windows, cau

the process of putting one hand to the small of his back and pressing there, as though a spring needed

ce toward the Corner Hous

countenance as the cooking odors emanatin

's Miss Ruth's party, an' she's always gen'rus wif

allowing himself to fall forward again in the proper p

busy; though not more so than a fresh-appearing Finnish maid, who hummed an air full of minor strains as she opened the oven door now and then, there

baked macaroons. "I mean the girls will never eat all this," and she waved her hand to include a side table on which were many more plates, some empt

laughed Ruth. "My only worry i

e! how many do you expect

re will be yo

re had been some question about it, though this was th

," answered

t know he was coming!" retorted Agnes

h said. "I thought it best to start right. If we are going to be of any use

agate mixing spoon, and thereby bringing from a deep pantry th

t do that!"

' the rattlin' an' thumpi

he girls to luncheon, to talk over the new Civic Betterment Club, and that Mr. Howbridge

nglish Parliament," interrupted Agnes. "They alwa

she handed a pie to Linda, the humming Finnish maid, who popped it into

cCall. "What those English law makers do-I wouldna' put it past th

Mr. Howbridge is of them. For the land's sake, aren't you going to stop?" she demanded, as R

nd help me any longer if you don't want to,

ess! I like that! Why, I was thinking of

many into it as we can. Do come to the meeting this afternoon. Mr. Howbridge is going to explain everything, and

ieve I will come to the mee

ep of her muscular arm indicated the pots, pans, dishes and

parlor and library again. And I wonder what has become of Dot and Tess. I ask

acCall from the dee

here ha' ye been? Come ye here the

e new words and phrases that needed translating. Especially as it seemed to the girls that more and more Mrs. MacCall was falling

prided herself on her Highland knowledge. But Mrs. MacCall herself

d. "Ah, 'tis a pretty little verse o' R

all the burring of whic

ou gaun, my

you gaun,

ed me righ

d for my

ck into the pantry and from an open window in th

ere, and be for me the lassie

d Ruth. "I've been wondering w

acCall. "Laden in their arms wi' all sort

e well, my

ee well,

gay an' a b

as a waukr

chance to answer, for in the kitchen, making it more busy than ever, troop

and without more ado they tossed them to a cleared place on th

s just darling of you to get them for me. Now do you

ook he

" asked R

ook, and I just have to do it," answered Dot. "And T

nswer. "I'm goin

ens, too!" insisted Dot. "Sh

re she is, now!" And Tess darted from the room to pounce on the cat

ed Mrs. MacCall, with a warm smile as she came

give me a cookie

ibute. "We can take Almira and your Alice-doll

not so sure about Almira," and Dot seemed rather in doubt. "

gest such a thi

rnoon, and if that cat and her

at she likes with them, I suppose," she added as an afterthought. "Only I know that every once in a while she takes a notion to plant

p me arrange the flowers," observed Ruth, anxious to put an end to the discussion abo

per, and, bribed by two cookies each, a special good measure on Saturda

, and Ruth and Agnes were in the parlor and library, tasteful

, as she stepped back to get the effect of a bunch of red flo

ira! Really I don't see how that cat stand

tually I caught him yesterday tying the

goat's back!

s. I sent him

was hi

cus, a little dog rode on a pony's back and Samm

ery seriously with all those kittens. We really must get rid of them. Vacation will soon be here, and

any vacation

ait until I saw Mr. Howbridge at

ith our vacation-unl

does enter into it; and as he is our guardian and has charge of

we lost a

have consulted him before we made any summer

ssented Agnes, as she took up anoth

ere, inside or outside the house, a resoundin

h, dropping the blossoms from he