a perfect thirty-six----"

"Is there any doubt of it?" cried Helen, the tease.

"Well!"

"Never mind," Ruth said. "Jennie is going to be thinner."

"And it seems she will begin to diet this very morning," Aunt Kate put
in.

"Ow-wow!" moaned Jennie at this reminder that they had been refused
breakfast.

Captain Tom, however, had handled too many serious situations in France to
be browbeaten by a termagant like Miss Susan Timmins. He went down to the
kitchen, ordered a good breakfast for all of his party, and threatened to
have recourse to the law if the meal was not well and properly served.

"For you keep a public tavern," he told the sputtering Miss Timmins, "and
you cannot refuse to serve travelers who are willing and able to pay. We
are on a pleasure trip, and I assure you, Madam, it will be a pleasure to
get you into court for any cause."

On coming back to the front of the house he found two of the neighbors
just entering. One proved to be the local doctor's wife and the other was
a kindly looking farmer.

"I knowed that girl warn't being treated right, right along," said the
man. "And I told Mirandy that I was going to put a stop to it."

"It is a disgrace," said the doctor's wife, "that we should have allowed
it to go on so long. I will take the child myself----"

"And so'll Mirandy," declared the farmer.

"It is an auction," whispered Helen, overhearing this from the top of the
stairs.

The party of guests came down with their bags now, bringing Bella in
their midst--and in the new shirt-waist.

"Let her choose which of these kind people she will stay with," Tom
advised. "And," he added, in a low voice to Ruth, "we will pay for her
support until we can find her father."

"Like fun you will, young feller!" snorted the farmer, overhearing Tom.

"I could not hear of such a thing," said the doctor's wife.

"I'd like to know what you people think you're doing?" demanded Miss
Timmins, popping out at them suddenly.

"Now, Suse Timmins, we're a-goin' to do what we neighbors ought to have
done long ago. We're goin' to take this gal----"

"You start anything like that--taking that young one away from her lawful
guardeen--an' I'll get Elnathan Spear after you in a hurry, now I tell ye.
I'll give you your nevergitovers!"

"If Nate Spear comes to my house, I'll ask him to pay me for that corn he
bought off'n me as long ago as last fall," chuckled the farmer. "Just
because you're own cousin to Nate d