oor at once, which proceeding
resulted in an athletic scrimmage, and a final burst of kicking humanity
into Eliza's kitchen.

"Howly saints! but ye're the noisy bunch!" was Eliza's greeting, and then
she bade them hurry upstairs and tidy themselves for supper.

CHAPTER VII

AN EARLY ESCAPADE

Marjorie and Kitty occupied the room that had been Marjorie's the summer
before. Another little white bed had been put up, and as the room was
large, the girls were in no way crowded.

Kitty admired the beautiful room, but in her quiet way, by no means
making such demonstrations of delight as Marjorie had when she first saw
it. Also Kitty felt a sort of possession, as she would return later and
occupy the room for the whole summer.

"Lots of these things on the shelf, Midget, I shall have taken away," she
said, as the girls were preparing for bed that same night; "for they're
your things, and I don't care about them, and I want to make room for my
own."

"All right, Kit, but don't bother about them now. When you come back in
June, put them all in a big box and have them put up in the attic until I
come again. I only hope you'll have as good a time here as I had last
summer. Molly Moss and Stella Martin are nearer my age than yours, but
you'll like them, I know."

"Oh, I know Molly, but I don't remember Stella."

"You'll prob'ly like Stella best, though, 'cause she's so quiet and
sensible like you. Molly's a scalawag, like me."

"All right," said Kitty, sleepily, for she was too tired to discuss the
neighbors, and very soon the two girls were sound asleep.

It was very early when Marjorie awoke the next morning. Indeed, the sun
had not yet risen, but the coming of this event had cast rosy shadows
before. The east was cloudily bright, where the golden beams were trying
to break through the lingering shades of night, and the scattering clouds
were masses of pink and silver.

When Marjorie opened her eyes, she was so very wide awake that she knew
she should not go to sleep again, and indeed had no desire to. The days
at Grandma's would be few and short enough anyway, and she meant to
improve every shining minute of them, and so concluded to begin before
the minutes had really begun to shine.

She hopped out of bed, and, not to wake Kitty, went very softly to the
window, and looked out. Across the two wide lawns she could see dimly the
outlines of Stella's house, half-hidden by trees, and beyond that she
could s