gun, half scared herself and shrinking from the report.

Ethel seconded her mother. "Yes," said she, "Miss Eudora has adopted a
baby, and she has a baby-carriage, and she wheels it out any time she
takes a notion." Ethel's speech was of the nature of an after-climax.
The baby-carriage weakened the situation.

The other women seized upon the idea of the carriage to cover their
surprise and prevent too much gloating on the part of Mrs. Glynn, Ethel,
and Julia.

"Is it a new carriage?" inquired Mrs. Lee.

"No, it looks like one that came over in the ark," retorted Mrs. Glynn.
Then she repeated: "She has adopted a baby," but this time there was no
effect of an explosion. However, the treble chorus rose high, "Where did
she get the baby? Was it a boy or a girl? Why did she adopt it? Did it
cry much?" and other queries, none of which Mrs. Glynn, Ethel, and Julia
could answer very decidedly except the last. They all announced that the
adopted baby was never heard to cry at all.

"Must be a very good child," said Abby.

"Must be a very healthy child," said Mrs. Lee, who had had experience
with crying babies.

"Well, she has it, anyhow," said Mrs. Glynn.

Right upon the announcement came proof. The beautiful door of the old
colonial mansion opposite was thrown open, and clumsy and cautious
motion was evident. Presently a tall, slender woman came down the path
between the box borders, pushing a baby-carriage. It was undoubtedly a
very old carriage. It must have dated back to the fifties, if not
the forties. It was made of wood, with a leather buggy-top, and was
evidently very heavy.

Abby eyed it shrewdly. "If I am not mistaken," said she, "that is the
very carriage Eudora herself was wheeled around in when she was a baby.
I am almost sure I have seen that identical carriage before. When we
were girls I used to go to the Yates house sometimes. Of course, it was
always very formal, a little tea-party for Eudora, with her mother on
hand, but I feel sure that I saw that carriage there one of those times.

"I suppose it cost a lot of money, in the time of it. The Yateses always
got the very best for Eudora," said Julia. "And maybe Eudora goes about
so little she doesn't realize how out of date the carriage is, but I
should think it would be very heavy to wheel, especially if the baby is
a good-sized one."

"It looks like a very large baby," said Ethel. "Of course, it is so
rolled up we can't tell."

"Haven't you gone