library, where he sat, awaiting her.

"A bread-and-butter letter; Mother says it's all right."

"Well, but you had other things to eat besides bread and butter."

"Yes, but that's just the name of it. Now, how would you begin it,
King?"

"'Dear Mrs. Geary,' of course."

"Well, but I want it to be to him, too. He was real nice,--in his queer
way. And if he hadn't looked after me, where would I have been?"

"That's so. Well, say, 'Dear Mr. and Mrs. Geary, both.'"

So Marjorie began:

"'Dear Mr. and Mrs. Geary Both:
"'This is a bread-and-butter letter----'"

"I tell you, Mops, they won't like it. They're not up in social doings,
and they won't understand that bread and butter means all the things. I
think you ought to put 'em all in."

"Well, I will then. How's this?

"'--and a turnip letter, and a boiled-beef letter, and a
baked-apple letter, and a soft-boiled egg letter.'"

"That's better. It may not sound like the fashionable people write, but
it will please them. Now thank them for taking care of you."

"'I thank you a whole heap for being so good to me, and speaking
kindly to me in the railroad train, when I wasn't so very polite to
you.'"

"Weren't you, Mops?"

"No; I squeezed away from him, 'cause I thought he was rough and rude."

"Well, you can't tell him that."

"No; I'll say this:

"'I wasn't very sociable, Sir, because I have been taught not to
talk to strangers, but, of course, those rules, when made, did not
know I would be obliged to run away.'"

"You weren't _obliged_ to, Midget."

"Yes I was, King! I just simply _couldn't_ stay here if I didn't belong,
could I? Could you?"

"No, I s'pose not. I'd go off and go to work."

"Well, isn't that what I did?

"'But you were kind and good to me, Mr. Geary and Mrs. Geary Both,
and I am very much obliged. I guess I didn't work very well for
you, but I am out of practice, and I haven't much talent for
houseworking, anyway. _You_ seem to have, dear Mrs. Geary.'

"That's a sort of a compliment, King. Really, she isn't a very good
housekeeper."

"Oh, that's all right. It's like when people say you have musical
talent, and you know you play like the dickens."

"Yes, I do. Well, now I'll finish this, then we can go down to the
beach."

"'And so, dear Mr. and Mrs. Geary Both, I write to say I am much
obliged----'

"Oh, my gracious, King, I ought to tell them how it h