re
sparkling.

"We'll make a day of it, Lieutenant," he cried, slapping me on the
shoulder. He always called me Lieutenant where mischief was a-foot. "Such a
day as _never_ was! We'll do every blessed thing we're s'posed not to! Most
of all--we'll _run the streets_!"

At that instant, Mary Ellen opened the door and put her rosy face in.

"She do be packin' her bag, byes," she whispered, "she's takin' the eliven
o'clock train, an' she won't be back till tomorrow at noon. Now what d'ye
think o' that? She's awful quate, but she's niver spilt a tear fer him that
I could spot."

"For who?"

"Why, her brother to be sure. It's him that's dead. It's a attack of
brownkitis that's carried him off so suddint. Her only brother an'--yes,
ma'a'm, I'm comin'," her broad face disappeared, "I was on'y tellin' the
young gintlemen to be nice an' quate while I git their dinner ready. Will
they be havin' the cold mutten from yisterday ma'a'm?" Her voice trailed
down the hall.

Presently we heard the front door close. We raced to the top of the stairs.

"Is she gone?" we whispered, peering over the bannister into the hall
below. But, of course, she was gone, else Mary Ellen would never dare to
stand thus in the open doorway, gaping up and down the street! We slid
recklessly down the hand-rail. It was the first infringement of rules--the
wig was on the green! We crowded about Mary Ellen in the doorway, sniffing
the air.

"Och, it's a bad lot ye are!" said she, taking The Seraph under the arms
and swinging him out over the steps, "shure it's small wonder the missus is
strict wid ye, else ye'd be ridin' rough-shod over her as ye do over me!
It's jist man-nature, mind ye--ye can't help it!"

"Well, it's not man-nature to be mewed up as she does us," said Angel,
swaggering, "and, I don't know what you mean to do, Mary Ellen, but _we_
mean to take a day off, so there!" He nodded his curly head defiantly at
her.

"Now, listen here, byes," said Mary Ellen, turning sober all of a sudden,
and shutting the door, "you come right out to the kitchen wid me, an' we'll
talk this thing over. I've got a word to say to ye."

She led the way down the hall and through the dining-room with its
atmosphere of haircloth, into the more friendly kitchen, where even the
oppressions of Mrs. Handsomebody could not quite subdue the bounding
spirits of Mary Ellen.

Angel sallied to the cupboard. "Bother!" he said, discontentedly,
investigating the cake-box,