he sofa pillow that Gertrude aimed at Jimmie hit him full on the
mouth and he busied himself pretending to eat it. Beulah scorned the
interruption.

"Of course, we're going to undertake her," Beulah said. "We are signed
up and it's all down in writing. If anybody has any objections, they
can state them now." She looked about her dramatically. On every young
face was reflected the same earnestness that set gravely on her own.

"The 'ayes' have it," Jimmie murmured. "From now on I become not only
a parent, but a soul doctor." He rose, and tiptoed solemnly toward the
door of Eleanor's room.

"Where are you going, Jimmie?" Beulah called, as he was disappearing
around the bend in the corridor.

He turned back to lift an admonitory finger.

"Shush," he said, "do not interrupt me. I am going to wrap baby up in
a blanket and bring her out to her mothers and fathers."

CHAPTER V

ELEANOR ENJOYS HERSELF IN HER OWN WAY

"I am in society here," Eleanor wrote to her friend Albertina, with a
pardonable emphasis on that phase of her new existence that would
appeal to the haughty ideals of Miss Weston, "I don't have to do any
housework, or anything. I sleep under a pink silk bedquilt, and I have
all new clothes. I have a new black pattern leather sailor hat that I
sopose you would laugh at. It cost six dollars and draws the sun down
to my head but I don't say anything. I have six aunts and uncles all
diferent names and ages but grown up. Uncle Peter is the most elderly,
he is twenty-five. I know becase we gave him a birthday party with a
cake. I sat at the table. I wore my crape da shine dress. You would
think that was pretty, well it is. There is a servant girl to do evry
thing even passing your food to you on a tray. I wish you could come
to visit me. I stay two months in a place and get broghut up there.
Aunt Beulah is peculiar but nice when you know her. She is stric and
at first I thought we was not going to get along. She thought I had
adenoids and I thought she dislikt me too much, but it turned out not.
I take lessons from her every morning like they give at Rogers
College, not like publick school. I have to think what I want to do a
good deal and then do it. At first she turned me loose to enjoy myself
and I could not do it, but now we have disapline which makes it all
right. My speling is weak, but uncle Peter says Stevanson could not
spel and did not care. Stevanson was the poat who wrote the birdie
with a