h suggestions Luella contemptuously put aside.

"I don't see what's the matter with her unless it is colic," she
remarked. "She may be subject to it; I ain't heard say. I'll ask Ora
next time I go out. When was she fed last?"

"Why, I don't know." The two little girls looked at each other. "Did
you give her the bottle, Mary?" asked Polly.

"No," was the reply.

"Maybe Molly did. I reckon it was Molly; she was playing she was
mother this morning, you know." Luella said nothing but continued the
rocking movement of her knees till Molly came in, breathless, with the
bunch of dried catnip.

"I suppose she's been fed regular," said Luella addressing Molly, "and
you've took care to give her the milk warm."

"Oh, dear!" Molly stood still. "I forgot she had to be fed oftener
than we are, and oh, Luella, I am afraid the last milk she took wasn't
real warm."

"Then no wonder she's yellin' like mad," said Luella disgustedly.
"You're a nice set to take care of a young un. Here, some of you hold
her whilst I get her milk and give it to her right. If she ain't got
colic from cold milk she's starvin'."

Molly meekly took charge of the screaming child who did not cease its
crying till Luella, returning with the bottle of milk, thrust the
rubber nipple into its mouth; then suddenly all was quiet. "Just what
I thought; half starved," said Luella. "It looks as if I'd got to see
to the youngster, if she stays here. Miss Ada's not much better than
the rest of you. What does she know about babies? I guess Ellis can
beat the best of you, after all, when it comes to 'tendin' babies."

The little girls felt properly abashed. Only the second day of the
baby's stay and she had gone hungry for an hour, while the day before
she had been overfed. It did not look as if their benevolent plan
worked very well, and indeed, by the end of the week, Miss Ada decided
that Miss Myrtle must return to her own. This was made easier by her
grandmother's arrival upon the scene, and there were helpers enough to
relieve Ellis for at least half the day. However the interest in
Parker Dixon's family did not end at once.

_CHAPTER IX_

_New Burdens for Ellis_

The three cousins were having a tea on the rocks with their friend
Grace Wharton. Luella had baked them some tiny biscuits and some wee
ginger-snaps; they had made the fudge themselves, and as for the tea,
the amount Miss Ada allowed them would not affect the nerves of a