The Corner House Girls on a Houseboat

uth and Agnes knew enough of the goings and comings in the Corner House n

in, and she fairly ran out into

rolling down the porch steps. By this time it was evident that the

it! Don't let

ot!" decl

despairing

can't hold i

came, and with it was mingled the warning of the

dead! She

this time!" exclaimed Ruth, and

ut Agnes. "Oh, dear, what those you

to trouble, Agnes. It's on

ten to that, will you!" Agnes added, as anoth

sure," cried Ruth, an

wo older girls. Especially to Ruth, who felt herself to be, as she literally was, a mother to the other three; th

many ways than picturesque Milton, their present home-the Kenways had lived in what, literally, was a tenement house. Their father and mother were

and Tess. Uncle Peter Stower had passed away, and Mr. Howbridge, the administrator of t

d opposite the Parade Ground in Milton, and there Uncle Rufus, the colored servant of his crabb

ventually all legal tangles were straightened out, and the four sisters came to live i

not so very little now. In fact she had blossomed into a young lady

of their adventures. In successive volumes are related the happenings when they went to

e furnished material for a book in itself and pave

was a college youth, and the friendship between him and Ruth presently ripened into a deep regard for each other

tell of that in detail, so that the reason for many things that happened in the book immedi

us disappearance of two small twins, and after many exciting days spe

orgotten. For summer had come, bringing with it new problems, not the

ad invited a number of girl friends to luncheon. It was the plan to form a sort of young people's Civic Club, to ta

ception in being a busy

from Mrs. MacCall, who looked after matters in general, Linda, who helped with the baking,

Dot and Tess to go to the store

, as she and Agnes hastened on.

," half whi

h came the sound o

ll flatted out, my Alice-doll is, and it's all your

rolled and it rolled. It's a good

hat?" cried Agnes. "What

nd Mrs. MacCall holding to Tess, whom she was brushing off an

uth a wee kitten. Uncle Rufus was hobbling toward the scene of the excitement as fast as his rheumatism would allow. Scattered on the ground at the foot of the steps was a collection

ing more easily when she saw that the

pped the barrel over and it rolled o

t, for she was covered with feathers from an old pillow that had been thro

inding, to her great relief, that she was unhurt, sh

looking? Just

?" asked Ruth, trying to speak rather

off most of the feathers. "I leaned over to put Almira in the barrel, soft and easy like, down on the other pillow,

l it rolled, and she's a

urt a bit," cried Tess. "H

l over you?" asked

e way in time, and Almira grabbed up her

enough excitement for one Saturday morning. Why

kitten to play with if Dot is going to play with her Alice-doll wh

"Well, I'm glad it was no worse.

r some rags in her and stuff her out. Bu

el rolled over her," said Tess. "But I'm so

along to the store. Oh, what a mess this is," and she looked at the refuse scattered from the trash

us shuffl

yeah trash in no time. I done got de lawn like a billiard table, an' I'll pick up dish yeah tr

ed for the ash man to remove. He had not called, and seeing the receptacle there, wi

d the old Scotch woman. "'Tis late it's getting, and

to be washed and have your hair combed. I want you t

s and Dot hurried on to the store, Dot tenderly trying t

into the barrel, and Mrs. MacCall hurried into her kitchen, where Lin

or and library," declared Ru

ng to look toward the gate through which at that m

as the youth broke into a run on seeing her and her sister on t

Tess and Dot!" murmured Ruth, for the children ha

the steps. "I've got such news for you! O