d then, with
a hasty "Oh, indeed!" the excellent lady bundled into her carriage and
drove away, somewhat bewildered and very much disturbed.

She would have been more so if she had seen her reprehensible
brother-in-law dancing a triumphal polka down the hall with Rose in
honour of having silenced the enemy's battery for once.

Chapter 9--Phebe's Secret

"Why do you keep smiling to yourself, Phebe?" asked Rose, as they were
working together one morning, for Dr. Alec considered house-work the
best sort of gymnastics for girls; so Rose took lessons of Phebe in
sweeping, dusting and bed-making.

"I was thinking about a nice little secret I know, and couldn't help
smiling."

"Shall I know it, sometime?"

"Guess you will."

"Shall I like it?"

"Oh, won't you, though!"

"Will it happen soon?"

"Sometime this week."

"I know what it is! The boys are going to have fireworks on the fourth,
and have got some surprise for me. Haven't they?"

"That's telling."

"Well, I can wait; only tell me one thing is uncle in it?"

"Of course he is; there's never any fun without him."

"Then it's all right, and sure to be nice."

Rose went out on the balcony to shake the rugs, and, having given them
a vigorous beating, hung them on the balustrade to air, while she took a
look at her plants. Several tall vases and jars stood there, and a month
of June sun and rain had worked wonders with the seeds and slips she had
planted. Morning-glories and nasturtiums ran all over the bars, making
haste to bloom. Scarlet beans and honeysuckles were climbing up from
below to meet their pretty neighbours, and the woodbine was hanging its
green festoons wherever it could cling.

The waters of the bay were dancing in the sunshine, a fresh wind stirred
the chestnut-trees with a pleasant sound, and the garden below was full
of roses, butterflies and bees. A great chirping and twittering went on
among the birds, busy with their summer house-keeping, and, far away,
the white-winged gulls were dipping and diving in the sea, where ships,
like larger birds, went sailing to and fro.

"Oh, Phebe, it's such a lovely day, I do wish your fine secret was going
to happen right away! I feel just like having a good time; don't you?"
said Rose, waving her arms as if she was going to fly.

"I often feel that way, but I have to wait for my good times, and don't
stop working to wish for 'em. There, now you can finish as soon as the
dust settles; I must