s marketing to step into the bank in which Mr. Howbridge kept the

e said to the latter gentleman

the teller. "What is the matter with the b

ll you," Ruth returned, laughing; yet she loo

en dollar note?" asked the teller, taking

," replied Rut

outh?" and Mr. Crouch chuckled as he bent above the banknote. "This app

to be sure," Ruth said. "Of course

d you ever hear of a mere human who wasn't

bill, I mean," she said,

ge good money for it," he said, with co

o one compartment of her purse, by itself. She looke

in their small way. Life was so "full of a number of things" for the two sma

n calling at the Pinkneys' side door to ask

yes caught sight of a brilliantly red card,

t is, Tess Kenway?" she

say?" responded Tess,

ont door of the Creamers' house when Mabel's siste

. "It's scarlet fever. Th

way and hugging tighter her Alice-doll, w

said Tess. "Oh

'll die?" asked D

! I don't know!"

Dot, for to the mind of the smallest Corner House

dful bad. And we must

erved Dot. "I think he's a

erested in the boys,"

see how he was," responded the sm

I'm just sorry for him 'cause he's a

O

r anybody who ha

t's go over to see Mabel Creamer. Now we're out wi

r baby carriages around the corner to their next door

serted in appearance as they went in at the gate an

they're all awa

e scarlet fever, too,

w which, on spying the Corner House girls, began to jump

d Tess. "And she

s us," cried Dot, hurrying to drag her

rest the little Kenways' ow

so lonesome I could kill flies! Dear me! how glad I am to see

ked Dot, struggling with her h

store. She won't be gone long. But I might as well be all alone. Mot

sked Tess. "Didn'

mind the baby. I told Lydia I'd go have a to

hed straight into the sitting room to se

a baby brother, Mabel Cre

uld have one!" Do

You don't know what a nuisance babies are. Everybody else can

s small as Bubby Creamer. The baby laughed, and crowed, and stretched o

ever saw," agreed the sm

came. "Oh, yes, he's so cunning! Look at him now-trying to get his foot in his mouth. If I bite my

low his foot?" gasped Dot. "I s

Creamer. "Then I could get out and play once in a while. Lydia

Tess, interrupting this ill-natured t

e! he's trying to grab your Al

, in alarm. "Haven't you an old dol

black as your Uncle Rufus. I'll hunt ar

their way home, after bidding Mabel and B

to see Mabel Creamer, after

's real inquisitive, too. Did y

notice,"

ard with a heavy traveling bag yesterday morning, and he

find out anything. And I'd like to know where he's gone, too. There's all his pres

rner House. Agnes had gone about all the morning openly won

ng," she said to Ruth, querulously, wh

?" Ruth retu

d never say a word t

eale O'Neil's defection she would surely have noticed how Ruth

eil," the older sister said

d. "He has no business to have secret

have been amused by her sister's seriousness at another time

his confidence and hadn't told me, I'd never speak to him again! At lea

th said again. "Come into the sitting

d there was nothing just then so important as

r lips at the same time. Her eyes sparkled; her cheeks were deeply flushed. She

ie!" she

s, querulously. "

d Ruth, for a third time, and q

behind the machine. Then she pulled the machine away from the w

Agnes, finally awakening to her sister's s

has it gone?" gasped Ruth,

nes again. "Oh! are you looking for that ol

ered Ruth,

what was in it?" d

Ruth sa

eit money and those old bonds. Neal

, but sitting down in a chair quickly as th

been great if the money and bonds were good? Why! i

book?" Ruth finally go

eale t

e too

es

at

nds were worth something and he'd find out. Of course, t

ng all that money

hter. "How tragic you sound-just as though it

ook?" asked Ruth, controll

denly. Mean thing! I'd just l

absence as of more importance. Ruth began to be troubled by that same query, too. Where

ined at the bank that morning was one