d: "What on earth has happened? I don't
understand."

"Of course you don't," laughed Nancy Ellen. "You thought you ran the
whole place and did everything yourself, so I thought I'd just show you
how things look when I run them."

"You are a top-notcher," said Kate. "Figuratively and literally, I
offer you the palm. Let the good work go on! I highly approve; but I
don't see how you found time to do all this and go to Institute."

"I didn't go to Institute," said Nancy Ellen.

"You didn't! But you must!" cried Kate.

"Oh must I? Well, since you have decided to run your affairs as you
please, in spite of all of us, just suppose you let me run mine the
same way. Only, I rather enjoy having Father and Mother approve of
what I do."

Kate climbed the stairs with this to digest as she went; so while she
put away her clothing she thought things over, but saw no light. She
would go to Adam's to return the telescope to-morrow, possibly he could
tell her. As she hung her dresses in the closet and returned Nancy
Ellen's to their places she was still more amazed, for there hung three
pretty new wash dresses, one of a rosy pink that would make Nancy Ellen
appear very lovely.

What was the reason, Kate wondered. The Bates family never did
anything unless there was some purpose in it, what was the purpose in
this? And Nancy Ellen had not gone to Institute. She evidently had
worked constantly and hard, yet she was in much sweeter frame of mind
than usual. She must have spent almost all she had saved from her
school on new clothes. Kate could not solve the problem, so she
decided to watch and wait. She also waited for someone to say
something about her plans, but no one said a word, so after waiting all
evening Kate decided that they would ask before they learned anything
from her. She took her place as usual, and the work went on as if she
had not been away; but she was happy, even in her bewilderment.

If her father noticed the absence of the letter she had slipped from
his pocket he said nothing about it as he drew the paper and letters
forth and laid them on the table. Kate had a few bad minutes while
this was going on, she was sure he hesitated an instant and looked
closely at the letters he sorted; but when he said nothing, she
breathed deeply in relief and went on being joyous. It seemed to her
that never had the family been in such a good-natured state since Adam
had married Agatha and her three hundr