"Miss Patty sent a telegram."
"Miss Patty! How did she know? Boys, I ran away."
"Whew!" whistled Sid. "She'll come and take you back, then."
A vague terror entered Lettie's heart, and she made up her mind that she would never go. What a joyful uproar there was, and how they all talked together! In the evening, when all had gone to bed except Lettie, Hattie, and their mother, Lettie said, "Mother, I think now that a large family is just delightful, and I don't know how you all put up with me before. Please forgive me. I'll not fret any more, if you'll only let me stay at home." You may be sure Mrs. Edmonds forgave her.
The next morning in stepped Miss Patty. Lettie caught up Ruby and went to meet her, with a little defiance and a great deal of shame in her face. "Miss Patty, I'm very sorry. You have been very good to me, but I can't go back. I'm glad I went with you, for I've learned that I do love the folks at home so much that I would rather be here than any place in the world."
"What! among these noisy children, and in all this fuss! What a curious taste!"
Miss Patty made quite a long visit, and Lettie confided to her mother her thought that she was much nicer there than at home.
[HOW ROSIE HELPED.]
HER name was Rosalie; but she was such a little creature that it seemed more natural to call her Rosie.
Besides, she was always among the roses. On this morning while her father talked with Dick, she hovered between the study and the flower garden, now gathering her flowers, now peeping her head into the study to see if papa was not almost through and ready to talk to her. She was shy of Dick; he was a new boy, had only been with them a few days, and papa more than suspected was not a good boy; so Rosie had strict orders not to visit him in the stable, or have any talk with him unless papa or some one else was within hearing. Only this morning papa had heard Dick use language which made him feel afraid that he ought not to keep him in his employ. Yet how sorry he was for poor orphan Dick, that nobody seemed to care for!