r-bell jangled harshly, and the brown eyes in the room
across the hall flew open just as the front door closed with a bang, and
Mrs. Strong's frightened voice called through the darkness, "What is it,
John? A telegram?"

"A messenger boy."

"Oh, what is the trouble? Someone hurt or sick at home? Here is a light,
dear."

Flickering shadows danced across the walls of Peace's room, she heard
the tearing of paper, and then Mr. Strong's quick exclamation,
"Elizabeth! It is Allee!" "_What_ is Allee?" A white gown shot out of
the door opposite them, and terrified Peace threw herself into the
woman's arms, demanding again, "What is Allee? Is she--dead?"

"No, dear," he hastily assured her, provoked to think he had frightened
the child so badly; "only ill--quarantined for scarlet fever."

"Scarlet fever!" gasped the girl. "That's what killed Myrtle Perry. Oh,
will Allee die, too? Why didn't I stay at home with her?"

"There, there, little girlie, you mustn't cry about it like that," said
Mrs. Strong, stroking the brown head in her arms with comforting
touches. "Lots of people have scarlet fever and get over it. The letter
says Allee's case is not at all severe, but she will be quarantined for
some weeks and you can't go home until the house has been fumigated. You
must be our girl for a month or two longer. Will that be hard work?"

"N-o, but s'posing she _should_ die! I ought to be there to have it,
too."

"No, indeed! That would make it only harder for Grandma Campbell. You
must stay here and keep well so they won't be worrying about you, too.
Allee isn't going to die, but in a few weeks will be as well as ever."

"S'posing I've caught it already and give it to Glen?"

"Dr. Coates thinks you would have been sick by this time if you were
going to have the disease, but he is taking no chances, and has sent
some medicine as a preventive."

"What about school?" The case was becoming interesting to Peace, now
that she was assured that Allee would not die.

"Oh, you can have another week of vacation from lessons, and then if
everything is all right, you can finish your term at Chestnut School.
That is only four blocks from here, and Miss Curtis is a splendid
principal. I knew her when I went to college, and I am sure you will
like her."

This was not exactly what Peace had expected or hoped for. She would
have preferred no more school at all, as long as the sisters at home
were to have an enforced vacation of several