porch."

"Mercy gracious--I see 'em! I'll go right an' stop Carruthers! That's
what Stefana said--that we'd ought to remember you wasn't in Europe
now."

"I think I could hear steam whistles there!" Miss Theodosia smiled. But
Evangeline's sober mind continued its line of thought.

"Stefana says if you'll hang somethin' red out when you're asleep, or
got callers, or anythin', then she'll make us play funeral."

"Oh, no--not that!" No red flag of warning could justify playing
funeral.

"Well, Hold-Your-Breath, then. We can't make much noise holding our
breaths! Stefana's the champion Hold-Your-Breath-er. You take an awful
long breath--this way--" But, already, Miss Theodosia was on her way
home. She found her callers moving agitatedly about. "Central asked what
doctor, and for the life of me I couldn't remember a living doctor's
name in this town. 'Anybody,' I told her. 'Tell him to come quick;
somebody must be dying over to the little Flagg place."

Miss Theodosia lifted a hand to stem the tide of Mrs. Andrew's words.

"He's stopped dying--listen! It's all quiet now; it was only play. I'll
head Central off. Excuse me a minute--I mean, another minute!"

But Central had done her work well--beyond heading-off. Already an
automobile was speeding up the road; behind it clattered a