rn. For Peggy's accomplishments were of a practical sort. The crayon which adorned the wall of her mother's bed-room, and whic

sician, too, Peggy had her obvious limitations, but when it came to transforming the cold potatoes, and the unpromising ends of the roast left from dinner, into an appetizing luncheon, it would be hard to find Peggy's equal; while the fa

ue gingham apron, with her sleeves rolled to the elbow, she looked decidedly businesslike, though the costume was far from being unbecoming. Indeed Dick, sitting on the window-sill, gravely observant of Peggy's occupation, noticed how the h

ve tasted the cinnamon rolls Sally made while you were gone. She scrimped on the sugar and the cinnamon, you see, and yo

her younger brother after the fashion of some girls, but she had a habit of hanging little sentence sermons on pegs which chanced to be available--cinnamon rolls, in this i

dabs of butter until the second pan of rolls was ready for the oven. Then Dorothy, stan

she looked, the kitchen window in the next house was lowered and a cloud of black smoke escaped, accompanie

use next door, which presented the forlorn appearance to be expected considering that the tenants had moved in only the day before. Through the uncurtained windows Peggy caught glimpses of incongru

my cinnamon rolls," she e

is meaning clear, he was never tro

though they really had neighbors and, of course, I ca

t to have baked more than two pans. But then," he added with an evident e

an own cousin to a Newfoundland dog, but she had the joy of a real artist in her cookery. With shining eyes she

to eat," Dick agreed. "Say

too," cried Dorot

for luncheon." She set her rolls on a plate, threw a napkin over them, and without stopping to remove her apron, crossed the yard

rivals was sufficiently advanced so that she could offer to lend her aid, for her capable fingers fairly itched to assist in br

ed. "Elaine! Somebody

t the speaker's mood would change as soon as she knew her caller's errand. "So her name is Elaine," Pegg

had neglected to comb her hair that morning, or else her forenoon's occupation had been strenuous enough to obliterate all traces of that ceremony. Her apron was soiled. She wore an expression of weary discouragement, which

dial smile. "I know how busy you must be getting settl

the girl, and made a movement as if to close the

of yours. I've brought you over a plate of cinnamon ro

gy finished her little speech, two spots

bewildered on the step. For a moment she battled with the temptation to push open the door and force the girl inside to listen t

, remembering her promise to Dick and Dorothy, she put some of the rolls on a plate and carried them into the next room. Her thoughts were still full of the rebuff she had receive

she is t

t notice

y manners, girls. We'll

followed these observations

d, as three girls popped up from

illa, slipping her arm about Peggy's waist. "You

over the plate with an ecstatic gasp. "Don'

," Peggy cried

hand. "Priscilla and I can eat all we want, but you'll have

Suiting the action to the word she set her teeth in the golden-brown crust. "They're as good as they look," she announced in

at sensitive people wear when fearing that they will be forced to be

on," Amy remarked with her mouth full. "How lovely it would be i

ading her friend's tell-tale face as if it had

he mere suggestion of ill-treating

y sufficiently obvious to the least discerning. "She's b

ing," said poor Peggy,

el

idn't quite

e girl, who puts on such ridiculous a

appropriateness she was forced to admit. "I saw the gi

ut her name, Peggy

o sell the rolls, and she said t

r to laugh, but her amusement did not communicate itself to the others. Rut

infully. "She must be very observing

acknowledged, in the sympathy called out by her confession. "She can't have been used to nei

g up as expectedly as a Jack in a box, poured oil on the troubled waters by offerin

de any effort to conceal her merriment, Peggy having a singular theory that children should be treated just as courteously as older people. She looked regretfully at the sma

ches," remarked Amy, wiping her eyes. "But

ess had quite disappeared in resentment over Peggy's snubbing. "If she doesn't want neighbors she

day you came. We thought it was your hack, you know, and we rushed to grab you the minute you stepped out, and we w

ad been an open coal-hole handy it would ha

at it didn't matter, she acted as if we'd been so many hitching-posts standing in a row. Didn't see us or h

the way I fee

e rug, and absent-mindedly she r

of distress. "Let's not be in such a hurry to make up

gh," observ

ntinued Peggy, disregarding the interruption. "When

t no one but Peggy herself thoug

ng in Friendly Terrace yet. We don't know what that will do for her. Instead of letting her

em into agreement. Amy tried changing the subject. "Do you know what this roll

could i

y explained, "it was on a picnic at the Park. It was th

Ruth said. "The picnics this year didn't seem like the

other," Priscilla cried.

animity as far as the picnic was concerned. In five minutes it was arranged that Ruth was to bring the

anxiously. "You see, she really does make a lot of extra work, she's

parted with looks expressive of cheerful anticipation. But Peggy's bright face clouded over as she glanced a little later toward the next

," Peggy thought. "All the trouble is that we don't understand one another. As soon