"Wait a moment, Ellis. I want
to talk over something with these girls of mine." She led the way
indoors, leaving Ellis on the porch. "Now, lassies," she said when
they were all in the living-room, "what is it you want to do?"

"We want to take care of Ellis's baby," chanted the two, and Mary
coming in as a third repeated the words.

"But do you realize what it would mean? You would have to give up much
of your playtime, and could not go off sailing or rowing or picnicking."

"We could go picnicking," insisted Polly, "because we could take the
baby with us."

"Very well, we will leave out the picnic. I might get Luella to stay
afternoons sometimes, but you know she goes home to help her mother,
for Mrs. Barnes has more laundry work than she can do, and Luella has
to help her when she can; those were the only terms upon which she
would consent to come to me; so you see we can't count on Luella."

"It may not be for very long," said Polly, hopefully. "Leona may soon
get well."

"If it is typhoid, as they suspect, she is likely to be ill a long
time."

"Well, I don't care; I'll give up my afternoons," decided Polly.

"And I'll give up my mornings," said Molly, not to be outdone. "And
then the baby does sleep some, so we can play while she is asleep. Oh,
Polly, we could have lovely times playing with something alive like
that."

"Wouldn't it be jolly to have a real live baby for a doll," put in Mary.

"I see you are not to be put off," said Miss Ada, laughing, "so I will
allow you to undertake the charge for a week, and at the end of that
time if I think it is too much for you, I shall have to insist that you
give it up."

"Oh, we'll never think it is too much," declared Polly with conviction,
and the others echoed her.

So they all trooped out to Ellis. "We have the loveliest plan," Molly
began eagerly.

"You can have all your time," put in Polly.

"I am so very pleased to be able to do something for you when you were
so kind to me," said Mary earnestly.

Ellis looked bewildered.

"The girls propose to take care of your brother's little baby for a
week, Ellis," Miss Ada explained.

"Oh, I can't let 'em do that," said Ellis bashfully.

"Oh, but we are just wild to," Polly assured him.

"Yes, we truly are," Molly insisted. "We adore babies. When can you
bring her over, Ellis? Shall we keep her day and night, Aunt Ada, and
may she sleep with me?"

"Oh, Ora's sister says she can take her