aid Aunt Jane.

"Oh yes'm, I do, I do!"

"Now, Flaxie," pleaded Milly, looking grieved, "when you haven't been to
my school, and haven't seen my elegant teacher!"

"Well, but isn't Philip my brother? And so are Preston and Ninny. I
forgot about them."

"And don't you want to see your mother too?" asked Aunt Jane, with
another smile. She had been smiling ever since she came.

"Oh, yes, my mamma; I want to see her most of anybody in this
world--'cept my papa!"

Milly's head drooped.

"Oh, but I'm coming back again," said Flaxie, kissing her. "And then
I'll go to school. Where's my valise?"

She was such a restless, impatient little girl that it wasn't best to
let her know till the last minute what a beautiful thing had happened at
home. But the next morning, when her hat and cloak were on, Aunt Jane
told her she had a dear, new little baby sister, three days old!

Flaxie did just what you might expect she would do: clapped her hands
and cried for joy.

"What's her name? Has she any teeth? Has she any curls? Where does she
sleep?"

"Why, what's the matter now?" said Uncle Ben, coming in as Flaxie and
Milly were whirling around the room in each other's arms.

"Oh, good-bye, Uncle Ben, good-bye! I don't know what her name is, but
there's a little sister at home, and I must go right off in the cars. I
_wish_ I had some _seven-legged_ boots! Good-bye, Uncle Ben."

She meant _seven-league_ boots, for the cars did seem very slow. And
when she got home the baby was so small that she laughed and cried
again.

"Oh, it's the little _bit-of-est_ baby ever I saw!"

Phil had a grieved lip. He hardly liked the little pink morsel in the
nurse's lap; but he was glad to see Flaxie, and stood on his head with
delight.

Mamma looked very happy, and so did Dr. Papa. Ninny went singing about
the house, and Preston whistled more than ever.

It was all beautiful, only Flaxie wanted to have a "talk" with mamma,
but nurse said, "You'd better go down-stairs to play;" and then, not
long after supper, she said again, "And now you'd better go to bed!"

"A queer woman, scolding so to other people's little girls," thought
Flaxie.

CHAPTER V.

THAT HOMELY MISS PIKE.

The nurse did leave the room next day for a minute, and Flaxie ran up to
the bed and nestled close to her mother.

"Now I'll tell you all about it. I wanted to see you so, my heart ached
and ached, and once I ran away home."

"You did, darling? I'm gla