ise is?"

"She went out," replied Miss Merriam, somewhat nervously.

"Dorothy has gone to Della's this afternoon to help her get ready for
tonight," Ethel said.

"She arrived before I left," admitted Edward--a confession that drew a
long look from Gertrude.

"Where's Ayleesabet?"

"Playing under the table," answered Gertrude in cheerful ignorance that
Ayleesabet had departed to more stimulating regions over the stairs.

Ethel lifted the table cover to investigate.

"She isn't here."

Gertrude jumped up and the doctor followed her into the hall. Ethel
Brown ran into the dining room and then upstairs, with Miss Merriam in
pursuit.

It was a moment of relief for everybody when Ethel gave a shout of
discovery.

"Here she is!" she called, "and O, what will Dorothy say when she comes
back and sees her room!"

"What's the modern way of dealing with that situation?" Edward asked
when Miss Merriam re-appeared with Elisabeth under one arm.

"Do you mean ought she to be punished? Why should she? She was only
following out her instinct to learn. How could she know that that was a
time and place where it would inconvenience somebody else if she did?
I'm the one to be punished for letting her have the opportunity."

"I suppose that's true. She'd never learn much if she didn't
investigate, would she? And, as you say, she isn't yet conscious that
she has any especial duty toward any one else's comfort."

"The Misses Clark are always saying 'No, no,' to her. I should think
she'd think of their house as 'No, no Castle'."

"They love her, though," defended Ethel Brown.

"That's why I let her go there. A baby knows when she's loved and those
two old ladies make her feel it even above the 'No, Nos'."

"I went in there yesterday when I saw Elisabeth's carriage outside their
door," said Ethel, "and I found the older Miss Clark sitting on the
floor clapping her hands and the baby trying to dance and sitting down,
bang, every four or five steps."

Elisabeth was in a coquettish mood and played like a kitten with Edward.

"She is the very sweetest thing I ever saw!" exclaimed Ethel Brown. "I
do wish I could take her to Washington."

"Take her to Washington! What on earth do you mean?" asked Miss Merriam.

"Nothing, only I hate to go away from her for even a few days. I came
over to tell Dorothy that Grandfather Emerson is going to send us all to
Washington with Mr. Wheeler's party for Washington's Birthday. Do you
think