When she reached the door of the nursery, she stepped back to let some one
pass out in front of her and as she went downstairs she was careful to keep
well to one side so that there was plenty of room for some one to walk
beside her. She went through the empty living room, through the dining room
and out into the kitchen where her mother was working.

"May Dorothy and I have our lunch?" she asked.

"Lunch?" asked Mrs. Merrill, and in her hurry she only noticed half what
Mary Jane said, "yes, in just a minute. It's almost time for father and I'm
so late. Will you run into the dining room, dear, and see that the chairs
are all set up to the table as they should be? That's a good little
helper."

Mary Jane hurried back to the dining room and set five chairs up to the
table--to be sure they were a bit crowded and so was the extra place
Mary Jane set with napkin, plate, glass and silver that she got from the
sideboard, but Mary Jane didn't seem to notice that, she was quite pleased
and satisfied with her work.

"Now you sit right here, Dorothy," she said, "and I'll sit beside you so
you won't be lonesome." She pushed her chair beside the vacant one and
climbed into it.

Father and mother and Alice came into the room one after another and each
exclaimed over the vacant chair.

"Who's the company?" asked father.