ey kept open house at Dolittle Cottage that afternoon. The country
community, aroused by the news of the supposed tragedy, and then by the
word that all was well, gave itself up to rejoicing. Vehicles of every
description creaked up the driveway, bringing whole families to offer
their congratulations. Though farm work was pressing, Mr. Silas Robbins
drove over with his wife and daughter, and patted Peggy's shoulder, and
pinched Dorothy's cheek. Luckily a morning in bed had done much to
restore Dorothy to her normal mood, and though she bestowed a withering
glance upon the gentleman who had taken this liberty, she did not
retaliate in the fashion Peggy feared.

"Couldn't think of letting _you_ get drowned, you know," remarked
Mr. Robbins with ponderous humor. "A girl who can speechify the way you
can, might get to be president some day, if the women's rights folks
should win out. I don't say," concluded Mr. Robbins, with the air of
making a great concession, "that I mightn't vote for you myself."

Mr. Smart, too, dropped in to secure additional information for the
write-up, which he informed Peggy would appear in the next issue of the
_Weekly Arena_. "Though but a country editor," said Mr. Smart
feelingly, "I believe that the Press ought to be reliable, and I'm doing
my part to make it so. No yellow journalism in the _Arena_." And he
showed a little natural disappointment on discovering that even this
assurance did not reconcile Peggy to the prospect of figuring as a
newspaper heroine.

One of the surprises of the day was Mrs. Snooks' appearance. Never since
her education had been taken in hand by the occupants of Dolittle
Cottage, had she darkened its doors. But now she came smiling, and with
an evident determination to regard bygones as bygones. For when she had
expatiated at some length on the effect of Elisha's harrowing news upon
her nerves, and had repeated in great detail what she had said to Mr.
Snooks, and what Mr. Snooks had said to her, she gave a crowning proof
of magnanimity.

"Now, I've got to be getting back home. Mr. Snooks is a wonderful
good-natured man, but he likes his victuals on time, same as most
men-folks. I wonder if you could lend me a loaf of bread? I was just
that worked up this morning that I didn't get 'round to set sponge."

The bread-box was well filled, thanks to Mrs. Cole, and Peggy insisted
on accompanying Mrs. Snooks to the kitchen and picking out the largest
loaf. She also sugges