s so busy helping the girls
clean house, he had kept his eyes and ears open for a permanent lodging.
And on Saturday morning he surprised Ruth by announcing that he would
leave them after supper that night.

"Why, Neale! where are you going?" asked the oldest Corner House girl.
"I am sure there is room enough for you here."

"I know all about that," said Neale, grinning quickly at her. "You folks
are the best ever."

"Then, why----?"

"I've made a dicker with Mr. Con Murphy. You see, I won't be far from
you girls if you want me any time," he pursued.

"You are going to live with Mr. Murphy?"

"Yes. He's got a spare room--and it's very neat and clean. There's a
woman comes in and 'does' for him, as he calls it. He needs a chap like
me to give him a hand now and then--taking care of the pig and his
garden, you know."

"Not in the winter, Neale," said Ruth, gently. "I hope you are not
leaving us for any foolish reason. You are perfectly welcome to stay.
You ought to know that."

"That is fine of you, Ruth," he said, gratefully. "But you don't _need_
me here. I can feel more independent over there at Murphy's. And I shall
be quite all right there, I assure you."

The house was now all to rights--"spick and span," Mrs. MacCall
said--and Saturday was given up to preparing for the coming school term.
It was the last day of the long vacation.

Dot had no loose tooth to worry her and she was busy, with Tess, in
preparing the dolls' winter nursery. All summer the little girls had
played in the rustic house in the garden, but now that September had
come, an out-of-door playroom would soon be too cold.

Although the great garret made a grand playroom for all hands on stormy
days, Ruth thought it too far for Dot and Tess to go to the top of the
house alone to play with their dolls. For her dolls were of as much
importance to Dot as her own eating or sleeping. She lived in a little
world of her own with the Alice-doll and all her other "children"; and
she no more thought of neglecting them for a day than she and Tess
neglected Billy Bumps or the cats.

There was no means of heating the garret, so a room in the wing with
their bed chambers, and which was heated from the cellar furnace, was
given up to "the kiddies'" nursery.

There were many treasures to be taken indoors, and Dot and Tess toiled
out of the garden, and up the porch steps, and through the hall, and
climbed the stairs to the new playroom--oh! so many tim