ng
that'll make you sick quicker than green cherries. They're acid enough
when they're ripe."

In the hurry of preparing for the guests, Marian thought nothing further
about it. Three nights later, Dr. Morton wakened them at midnight to
know if they had any calomel. "The Chicken's mighty sick," he said. "And
I gave the last I had to Mrs. Benton for Mary."

"I haven't any calomel, Father, but I've got some castor oil," Marian
announced after some rummaging.

"That will go hard with Jane, she loathes it. But she'll have to take it
down I guess. I can't imagine what ails her, she's vomiting and has a
high fever."

A sudden recollection struck Marian.

"Maybe she has been eating too many cherries."

"Ripe cherries oughtn't to hurt her and they have been plentiful so
long, I shouldn't think she would overeat."

"But I have seen her eating them when they weren't ripe. I believe
that's what is the matter."

"I hope so, I have been a little afraid of scarlet fever from her
symptoms." Dr. Morton seemed relieved.

When he had gone, Marian turned to Frank. She had been recalling several
things and putting them together.

"Frank Morton, I verily believe that sister of yours has been eating
half-ripe cherries for a penance."

"Penance? Penance for what?"

"I don't exactly know, but it has something to do with her running off
to the Captain's."

"Well, if she's as big a fool as all that, she deserves to have a
stomach ache. Come, stop worrying."

"But Frank, I'm afraid I'm the guilty one who suggested the idea to her.
Goodness knows, I hadn't the slightest intention of doing so." Marian
related the whole story.

"Well, Sis certainly gets queer notions into her head, but it may not be
that at all. Anyhow, you can't do anything to-night."

A very pallid forlorn girl sat propped up in bed about noon the
following day. The family, having discovered that it was nothing
serious, and that she had probably brought it on by her own folly, were
not sympathetic.

"What in the dickens did you want to go and eat green cherries for, when
there were pounds and pounds of ripe ones going to waste on the trees?"
Ernest's look of utter disgust was hard to bear.

Frank came over with a handful of minute green walnuts interspersed with
a choice assortment of gooseberries and green plums. He handed them to
her with a mocking bow.

"In case you get hungry, Jane dear, I thought you might like to have a
supply of your favorite food