ht try to make up for your fault
in some way. Perhaps you might give up something you like very much."

Jane didn't say anything more, and it was a day or two later before
Marian learned the effect of her words.

The cherry trees seemed full as ever after they had gathered all Marian
wanted, and in the evening Mrs. Morton sent Chicken Little out to gather
more for her. Marian offered to help her, and they were once more aloft
in the trees when Mr. Benton returned from town.

Marian began to chuckle.

"He'll think we have been here all day, Jane. Let's pretend we have."

"Dear me, Mr. Benton, back so soon. How fast the day has gone by. Jane,
you must be awfully hungry, I hadn't realized it was so late!"

"Well now, time does beat everything for speed, but I 'lowed it was only
our ancestors as lived in trees all the time, Mrs. Morton. But then I've
heard they're gettin' a lot of new-fangled ways down east. You're not
calculatin' to take up your residence permanent like in them cherry
trees, are you? In case you don't want the cottage any more, we might
move it over to our place just by way of being neighborly."

"Thank you, Mr. Benton, I'll remember your kind offer if it ever gets in
our way."

It was not many days before the mail brought a grateful letter from Mrs.
Halford, and ecstatic ones from the girls, in reply to Mrs. Morton's
invitation. They would arrive with Alice and Dick and Sherm--for Sherm
was coming, too--on the twentieth.

"Not quite two weeks. That means we must begin getting ready at once,
and you mustn't think because we have a servant coming, that you won't
need to help, Jane. One girl can't do all the work for so many."

Chicken Little had not yet said she was sorry and her Mother was
inclined to be severe with her in consequence. Mrs. Morton was rather
worried, too, because she had seemed pale and listless for two or three
days past. But when she asked if she were not feeling well, Chicken
Little had replied carelessly:

"Why, I'm all right, Mother."

They were hurrying to get the cherry crop cared for before the guests
arrived. There would be enough to do after they came to keep them all
busy without preserving, Mrs. Morton declared. One day when they were
seeding cherries, Marian noticed that Jane was eating only half ripe
ones.

"What on earth are you eating those green things for, child?"

"Oh, just for fun."

"Well, it won't be funny if you eat many of them. I don't know anythi