gether. The servant gal, who ought to have kept the
knife in its proper place, leaves it lying about in the damp, and lets
the blade get rusty. Then, instead of telling her mistress, she gets
Cole to put it on the stone, or else does it herself, and they keeps
grinding away till the knife's spoilt, and then, to end the matter,
one of 'em chucks it into the pond, and so it gets lost."

"And didn't you tell Mrs. Ormond?"

"No fear! I couldn't say for certain. I wasn't going to get the pore gal
out of her place, so I gave her the benefit of the doubt."

"Pore gal!" cried Mrs. Evans indignantly. "I'd pore gal her, the
careless hussy! I don't consider you've done your duty, Samuel."

"Well, if I didn't," replied the culprit, "'twas because I was reminded
of the fact that you was once in service yourself, Sarah."

"Get along with you!" cackled Mrs. Evans, trying hard not to laugh, but
failing in the attempt. "If I was in service I didn't throw no
carving-knives into no fishponds."

[Illustration]

CHAPTER VIII.

ELSIE HAS A FRIGHT.

"It's my birthday on Thursday, mother," said Guy. "Have you decided what
you're going to give me?"

[Illustration]

"That sounds as if you quite expected a present," answered Mrs. Ormond,
laughing.

"Of course I do," continued the boy. "And, I say, mother, can I ask
Naylor to come to tea and spend the evening? He's one of the boarders,
and a great friend of mine. I think his Christian name is George, or
Gerald, or something of that sort."

"Would you prefer to ask him on some half-holiday, when you can spend
the afternoon together?" asked Mrs. Ormond.

"Oh no, mother! I'd rather have him on my birthday. We'll do our prep.
work as soon as ever we come back from school, and then we shall have
the whole evening free."

"What shall we do?" asked Ida. "Play games?"

"Yes, I suppose so; but we shan't play any baby games like 'Snap,' or
'Hunt the Slipper,'" answered Guy loftily. "I think I'm going to invent
a game specially for the occasion."

The following day Guy returned home in high spirits. He said he had been
talking the matter over with Naylor, and the two, between them, had
planned out a game which would be simply "ripping." Having thus aroused
every one's curiosity, the boy refused to say any more, and, in answer
to numerous questions, merely answered, "Wait till to-morrow evening,
then you'll see."

Guy was greatly pleased with his presents, which included a ch