ld Ferry on the threshold.

"I came on a matter of business," said he, when he had shaken hands, "if
you can call asking a favour business. Shall I plunge into it?--A certain
storage house in a city near our old home has gone out of commission, and
we are notified that everything my mother has had stored there since we
left the home must be moved at once. Now that my sister and her friend
are to be here with us through the summer we should like to have my
sister's piano where she could use it. But"--he spread out his arms with
a gesture conveying the idea of great proportions--"the piano is a
grand--and not a miniature grand at that--concert size. We couldn't
possibly put it in our little house. Would it be asking too much of you
to allow it to stand in one of your rooms through the summer, where Janet
could do some practising on it? I assure you her practising is of the
nature of a morning musicale," he added--as if Sally might need assurance
in the matter.

Sally turned to Josephine. "It's a special providence," said she
solemnly, "to keep me from envying you your matting and willow furniture.
Will you have a concert grand in the west wing? I trow not."

Then she answered to her questioner. "Of course we shall be delighted,"
she told him. "And as I say, it will have a chastening effect on the
Burnside family, who are thinking of furnishing our west wing and
spending the summer with us. I'm sure they won't think of bringing a
grand piano out here."

Donald Ferry looked greatly pleased at this news. "That's fine," said
he. "Mother has been promising Miss Constance Carew and Janet all
sorts of pleasures in the country, and I should say this makes a sure
thing of it. If four girls on a farm can't have a good time
together--even when not aided and abetted by as many boys--there will
be something wrong with them--and the boys. Can't we be called
boys?--That's great news. And I may tell mother you will prove your
good friendship by taking the white elephant of a piano? May we send it
right away? You see, since it must be moved at once, it had best come
where it is to stay. And we'll send around a tuner. Please use it all
you can, just to keep it in good shape."

"I'm not the tiniest sort of a musician," said Sally regretfully. "But
Josephine is--she'll keep it in tune for you. I'll merely see that
it's dusted."

When he had gone Sally and Josephine looked at each other. "Miss
Burnside," said Sally, solemnly, "I feel i