she's a mighty poor hand to keep a secret?"

"I can't help it--I need her. Hurry, please."

Awed by the look in her big, gray eyes and the mysterious summoning of
help, the luckless seven were marched silently through the outer door,
around the house, through the coal shed and so into the back bedroom,
without being observed by the merrymakers, who shook the house to its
foundation to the cheerful command: "Gran' right 'n' left with a double
ELBOW-W!" "Chasse by yer pardner--balance--SWING!"

"What under the shinin' sun's the matter, Dell?" The Countess,
breathless from dancing, burst in upon the little group.

"Nothing very serious, Louise, though it's rather uncomfortable to
be called from dancing to administer heroic remedies by wholesale.
Can you hold Josephine--whichever one that is? She ate the most, as
nearly as I can find out."

"She ain't gone an' took pizen, has she? What was it--strychnine?
I'll bet them Beckman kids put 'er up to it. Yuh goin' t' give 'er
an anticdote?"

"I'm going to use this." The Little Doctor held up a fearsome thing to
view. "Open your mouth, Josephine."

Josephine refused; her refusal was emphatic and unequivocal, punctuated
by sundry kicks directed at whoever came within range of her stout little
shoes.