ng no attention to Lady Jane's dismal mews.

"I wish you didn't have to go," said Diana, a little sadly. "Do come
again soon, and perhaps you'll bring Lady Jane with you."

"We'll come again soon," said Peggy.

"Yes," said Alice; and in her own mind she thought, "We'll never, never
bring Lady Jane."

CHAPTER VII

THE CANARY-BIRD

Peggy and Alice had a very happy time the next few days playing with
Clara. Their school had a vacation, too, so the children were able to
spend long hours together, sometimes at one house and sometimes at the
other. They liked better going to see Clara on account of the
tree-house; and Clara liked better going to see them. She liked to come
early and help to make the beds and do the dishes, for she was never
allowed to help about the work at her own house, even now, when they
were supposed to be camping out. The field behind the Owens' house,
where the garden was to be, was a delightful place to play, and so was
the little hill beyond.

The time passed only too quickly, and, at the end of the vacation, Clara
was whisked back to New York with her father and mother and Miss Rand,
this time in an automobile. The children missed her very much at first;
and June, when she would be coming back again, seemed a long way off.

But they soon got interested in the children at school. Peggy liked
school, and she was very fond of her teacher. On the way to school they
passed Mrs. Butler's house. Peggy was always eager to stop and listen
to the canary and have a little talk with Mrs. Butler, but Alice was
always eager to go on for fear they would be late.

Sometimes they saw Mrs. Butler's daughter Flora, starting off for her
work. She was in a milliner's store and wore the prettiest hats. Every
time Peggy went by the milliner's window, she stopped to look at the
hats. She had longed to have a new one for Easter, for her old brown
straw looked so shabby. One day, when she was with her mother and Alice,
she made them cross the street to look at a hat in the window that she
wanted very much. It was a peanut straw with a ribbon of the same color
around it, with long ends. The ribbon had a blue edge, just the color of
Peggy's blue frocks.

"It does seem as if I'd got to have it," said Peggy. "Why should there
be a hat with blue on it, just the color of my dresses, if it wasn't for
me?"

"I wish I could get it for you, Peggy," said her mother. "When my ship
comes in perhaps I will."

"When