"But I will be so busy with my own work, Cousin Martha, that I am afraid
I couldn't do justice to the situation and repay the children and Sallie
for crowding them."

"Why, you couldn't crowd us, Evelina, honey," came in Sallie's rich
voice, as she sailed into the room, trailing the Pup and the Kit at her
skirts and flying lavender ribbons at loose ends. "We've come to help
you move over right away."

"Well, not while I have a voice in the affairs of my own husband's
niece! How are you, Evelina, and are you crazy, Sallie Carruthers?" came
in a deep raven croak of a voice that sounded as if it had harked partly
from the tomb, as Aunt Augusta Shelby stood in the doorway, with reproof
on her lips and sternness on her brow. "Peter and I will have Evelina
move down immediately with us. James Hardin has as much in the way of a
family as he can very well stand up under now."

And as she spoke, Aunt Augusta glared at Sallie with such ferocity that
even Sallie's sunshiny presence was slightly dimmed.

"Are you ready, Evelina? Peter will send the surrey for your baggage,"
she continued, and for a moment I quailed, for Aunt Augusta's
determination of mind is always formidable, but I summoned my woman's
wit and man's courage, and answered quickly before she fairly snatched
me from under my own roof-tree.

"That would be lovely, Aunt Augusta, and how are you?" I answered and
asked in the same breath, as I drew near enough to her to receive a
business-like peck on my cheek. "I expect to have you and Uncle Peter to
look after me a lot, but somehow I feel that Father would have