n't--conventional."

"And for goodness' sake, Connie," said Carol, "remember and call her our
chaperon, and don't talk about a housekeeper. There's some style to a
chaperon."

"Yes, indeed," said Fairy cheerfully. "And she wears such pretty
clothes, and has such pretty manners that she will be a distinct
acquisition to the parsonage. We can put on lots more style, of course.
And then it was awfully nice of her to send so much of her good
furniture,--the piano, for instance, to take the place of that old tin
pan of ours."

Carol smiled a little. "If she had written, 'Dear John: I can't by any
means live in a house with furniture like that of yours, so you'll have
to let me bring some of my own,'--wouldn't we have been furious? That
was what she meant all right, but she put it very neatly."

"Yes. 'I love some of my things so dearly,'" Lark quoted promptly, "'and
have lived with them so long that I am too selfish to part with them.
May I bring a few pieces along?' Yes, it was pretty cute of her."

"And do remember, girls, that you mustn't ask her to darn your
stockings, and wash your handkerchiefs, and do your tasks about the
house. It would be disgraceful. And be careful not to hint for things
you want, for, of course, Aunt Grace will trot off and buy them for you
and papa will not like it. You twins'll have to be very careful to quit
dreaming about silk stockings, for instance." There was a tinge of
sarcasm in Fairy's voice as she said this.

"Fairy, we did dream about silk stockings--you don't need to believe it
if you don't want to. But we did dream about them just the same!" Carol
sighed. "I think I could be more reconciled to Aunt Grace if I thought
she'd give me a pair of silk stockings. You know, Fairy, sometimes
lately I almost--don't like Aunt Grace--any more."

"That's very foolish and very wicked," declared Fairy. "I love her
dearly. I'm so glad she's come to live with us."

"Are you?" asked Connie innocently. "Then why did you go up in the attic
and cry all morning when Prudence was fixing the room for her?"

Fairy blushed, and caught her under lip between her teeth for a minute.
And then, in a changed voice she said, "I--I do love her, and--I am
glad--but I keep thinking ahead to when Prudence gets married,
and--and--oh, girls, Prudence was all settled in the parsonage when I
was born, and she's been here ever since, and--when she is gone it--it
won't be any home to me at all!"

Her voice rose on