"Mrs. Pike!" gasped Fanny. "Mrs.--Pike--coming here--for good! Oh my!
Miss Kitty, you don't really mean it!"

"Yes, I do," groaned Kitty. "It is really true. Father has written to
her, and--oh I never dreamed such a thing _could_ happen, or I would
have tried and tried to be more careful. It must be fate, though, as
well as our bad managing, for I've never before known Jabez post a
letter when he was told to; but he must have gone right down to the post
at once with the one to Aunt Pike that sealed all our fates. If he
hadn't I do believe I could have got father not to send it, or at least
to give us another chance."

Fanny shook her head solemnly. "It do seem like it," she groaned.

"What has happened while I have been out, Fanny? Has Betty been rude to
Emily?"

"Well, you see, Miss Kitty," said Fanny, anxious to tell, but softened
sufficiently to wish to make the best of the matter, "Miss Betty is so
tackless. Emily's temper really wasn't so bad till Miss Betty kep' on
with her. So soon as Emily had put the things on the table for supper,
Miss Betty 'd bring them all out again one by one, and put them down
before Emily, and every time she'd say, in that way she's got, 'Emily,
that glass is filthy; you must wash it at once. I wonder you ain't
ashamed to lay the things in such a state.' When she brought out the
third lot Emily got mad, and when Miss Betty come out with the forks
too--well, the storm bursted. Emily was cheeky, I don't deny, and Miss
Betty was rude, and I had to tell 'em at last that they must go out of
the kitchen if they was likely to go on like that. I wasn't going to