Sarah Emily was squeezed into a corner near
her mistress. That Sarah Emily should sit with the family at all was
contrary to Miss Gordon's wishes, and one of the few cases in which she
yielded to her brother. She had brought Sarah Emily from a Girls' Home
four years before, and had decreed that she would show the neighbors
the proper Old Country way of treating a servant. Sarah Emily was far
from the Old Country type, however, and William seemed to have
forgotten that servants had a place of their own since he had lived so
long in the backwoods. When the family would arrange themselves at
table, with the maid standing properly behind her mistress, Mr. Gordon
would wait for her to be seated before asking the blessing, regarding
her with gentle inquiring eyes, and finally requesting her in a mildly
remonstrating tone to come away and sit down like a reasonable body.
And Sarah Emily, highly pleased, would drag a chair across the bare
floor and plant herself down with a satisfied thud right on top of the
family gentility. Miss Gordon tried many ways to prevent repetition of
the indignity by keeping Sarah Emily out of the way. She disliked
explaining, for William was rather queer about some things since he had
been so long in this country. But Sarah Emily always contrived to be
on hand just as the family were being seated. And finally, when her
brother inquired anxiously if she wasn't afraid Sarah Emily had Roman
Catholic leanings, since she refused to sit down at the table for
grace, Miss Gordon gave up the struggle, and to the joy of all the
children, Sarah Emily became one of the family indeed.

"Where's Lizzie?" asked the guest, when the pancakes had been
circulated. He addressed his host, but looked at Annie. Mr. Gordon
gazed around wonderingly. "Lizzie? I didn't miss the wee lamb.
Where's our little 'Lizbeth, Margaret?"

Miss Gordon sighed. William never knew where the children were. "Did
you forget it's Saturday?" she inquired. "Elizabeth always spends
Saturday afternoon with Mrs. MacAllister," she explained to the young
man.

"Mrs. MacAllister is very much attached to Elizabeth," she added,
feeling very kindly just now toward her most trying child.

"Lizzie always does her home-work over there," ventured Archie, "'cause
Charles Stuart does her sums for her." John gave the speaker a warning
kick. Archie was only seven and extremely indiscreet, but John was
twelve and knew that whatever a Gordon m