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e bread； Sara； and it's a good idea about the rusks。 I'll make a panful。〃
〃Let me make them；〃 said the Story Girl； eagerly。 〃I can make real good rusks now。〃
〃No； it wouldn't do to trust you；〃 said Felicity mercilessly。 〃You might make some queer mistake and Aunt Eliza would tell it all over the country。 She's a fearful old gossip。 I'll make the rusks myself。 She hates cats； so we mustn't let Paddy be seen。 And she's a Methodist； so mind nobody says anything against Methodists to her。〃
〃Who's going to say anything； anyhow？〃 asked Peter belligerently。
〃I wonder if I might ask her for her name for my quilt square？〃 speculated Cecily。 〃I believe I will。 She looks so much friendlier than I expected。 Of course she'll choose the five…cent section。 She's an estimable old lady； but very economical。〃
〃Why don't you say she's so mean she'd skin a flea for its hide and tallow？〃 said Dan。 〃That's the plain truth。〃
〃Well； I'm going to see about getting tea；〃 said Felicity； 〃so the rest of you will have to entertain her。 You better go in and show her the photographs in the album。 Dan； you do it。〃
〃Thank you； that's a girl's job；〃 said Dan。 〃I'd look nice sitting up to Aunt Eliza and yelling out that this was Uncle Jim and 'tother Cousin Sarah's twins； wouldn't I？ Cecily or the Story Girl can do it。〃
〃I don't know all the pictures in your album；〃 said the Story Girl hastily。
〃I s'pose I'll have to do it； though I don't like to；〃 sighed Cecily。 〃But we ought to go in。 We've left her alone too long now。 She'll think we have no manners。〃
Accordingly we all filed in rather reluctantly。 Great…aunt Eliza was toasting her toesclad； as we noted； in very smart and shapely shoesat the stove and looking quite at her ease。 Cecily； determined to do her duty even in the face of such fearful odds as Great…aunt Eliza's deafness； dragged a ponderous； plush… covered album from its corner and proceeded to display and explain the family photographs。 She did her brave best but she could not shout like Felicity； and half the time； as she confided to me later on； she felt that Great…aunt Eliza did not hear one word she said； because she didn't seem to take in who the people were； though； just like all deaf folks； she wouldn't let on。 Great…aunt Eliza certainly didn't talk much； she looked at the photographs in silence； but she smiled now and then。 That smile bothered me。 It was so twinkly and so very un…great…aunt…Elizaish。 But I felt indignant with her。 I thought she might have shown a little more appreciation of Cecily's gallant efforts to entertain。
It was very dull for the rest of us。 The Story Girl sat rather sulkily in her corner； she was angry because Felicity would not let her make the rusks； and also； perhaps； a little vexed because she could not charm Great…aunt Eliza with her golden voice and story…telling gift。 Felix and I looked at each other and wished ourselves out in the hill field； careering gloriously adown its gleaming crust。
But presently a little amusement came our way。 Dan； who was sitting behind Great…aunt Eliza； and consequently out of her view； began making comments on Cecily's explanation of this one and that one among the photographs。 In vain Cecily implored him to stop。 It was too good fun to give up。 For the next half…hour the dialogue ran after this fashion； while Peter and Felix and I； and even the Story Girl； suffered agonies trying to smother our bursts of laughterfor Great…aunt Eliza could see if she couldn't hear：
CECILY； SHOUTING：〃That is Mr。 Joseph Elliott of Markdale； a second cousin of mother's。〃
DAN：〃Don't brag of it； Sis。 He's the man who was asked if somebody else said something in sincerity and old Joe said 'No； he said it in my cellar。'〃
CECILY：〃This isn't anybody in our family。 It's little Xavy Gautier who used to be hired with Uncle Roger。〃
DAN：〃Uncle Roger sent him to fix a gate one day and scolded him because he didn't do it right； and Xavy was mad as hops and said 'How you 'spect me to fix dat gate？ I never learned jogerfy。'〃
CECILY； WITH AN ANGUISHED GLANCE AT DAN：〃This is Great…uncle Robert King。〃
DAN：〃He's been married four times。 Don't you think that's often enough； dear great…aunty？〃
CECILY：〃（Dan！！） This is a nephew of Mr。 Ambrose Marr's。 He lives out west and teaches school。〃
DAN：〃Yes； and Uncle Roger says he doesn't know enough not to sleep in a field with the gate open。〃
CECILY：〃This is Miss Julia Stanley； who used to teach in Carlisle a few years ago。〃
DAN：〃When she resigned the trustees had a meeting to see if they'd ask her to stay and raise her supplement。 Old Highland Sandy was alive then and he got up and said； 'If she for go let her for went。 Perhaps she for marry。'〃
CECILY； WITH THE AIR OF A MARTYR：〃This is Mr。 Layton； who used to travel around selling Bibles and hymn books and Talmage's sermons。〃
DAN：〃He was so thin Uncle Roger used to say he always mistook him for a crack in the atmosphere。 One time he stayed here all night and went to prayer meeting and Mr。 Marwood asked him to lead in prayer。 It had been raining 'most every day for three weeks； and it was just in haymaking time； and everybody thought the hay was going to be ruined； and old Layton got up and prayed that God would send gentle showers on the growing crops； and I heard Uncle Roger whisper to a fellow behind me； 'If somebody don't choke him off we won't get the hay made this summer。'〃
CECILY； IN EXASPERATION：〃（Dan； shame on you for telling such irreverent stories。） This is Mrs。 Alexander Scott of Markdale。 She has been very sick for a long time。〃
DAN：〃Uncle Roger says all that keeps her alive is that she's scared her husband will marry again。〃
CECILY：〃This is old Mr。 James MacPherson who used to live behind the graveyard。〃
DAN：〃He's the man who told mother once that he always made his own iodine out of strong tea and baking soda。〃
CECILY：〃This is Cousin Ebenezer MacPherson on the Markdale road。〃
DAN：〃Great temperance man！ He never tasted rum in his life。 He took the measles when he was forty…five and was crazy as a loon with them； and the doctor ordered them to give him a dose of brandy。 When he swallowed it he looked up and says； solemn as an owl； 'Give it to me oftener and more at a time。'〃
CECILY； IMPLORINGLY：〃（Dan； do stop。 You make me so nervous I don't know what I'm doing。） This is Mr。 Lemuel Goodridge。 He is a minister。〃
DAN：〃You ought to see his mouth。 Uncle Roger says the drawing string has fell out of it。 It just hangs looseso fashion。〃
Dan； whose own mouth was far from being beautiful； here gave an imitation of the Rev。 Lemuel's； to the utter undoing of Peter； Felix； and myself。 Our wild guffaws of laughter penetrated even Great…aunt Eliza's deafness； and she glanced up with a startled face。 What we would have done I do not know had not Felicity at that moment appeared in the doorway with panic…stricken eyes and exclaimed；
〃Cecily； come here for a moment。〃
Cecily； glad of even a temporary respite； fled to the kitchen and we heard her demanding what was the matter。
〃Matter！〃 exclaimed Felicity； tragically。 〃Matter enough！ Some of you left a soup plate with molasses in it on the pantry table and Pat got into it and what do you think？ He went into the spare room and walked all over Aunt Eliza's things on the bed。 You can see his tracks plain as plain。 What in the world can we do？ She'll be simply furious。〃
I looked apprehensively at Great…aunt Eliza； but she was gazing intently at a picture of Aunt Janet's sister's twins； a most stolid； uninteresting pair； but evidently Great…aunt Eliza found them amusing for she was smiling widely over them。
〃Let us take a little clean water and a soft bit of cotton；〃 came Cecily's clear voice from the kitchen； 〃and see if we can't clean the molasses off。 The coat and hat are both cloth； and molasses isn't like grease。〃
〃Well； we can try； but I wish the Story Girl would keep her cat home；〃 grumbled Felicity。
The Story Girl here flew out to defend her pet； and we four boys sat on； miserably conscious of Great…aunt Eliza； who never said a word to us； despite her previously expressed desire to become acquainted with us。 She kept on looking at the photographs and seemed quite oblivious of our presence。
Presently the girls returned； having； as transpired later； been so successful in removing the traces of Paddy's mischief that it was not deemed necessary to worry Great…aunt Eliza with any account of it。 Felicity announced tea and； while Cecily conveyed Great…aunt Eliza out to the dining…room； lingered behind to consult with us for a moment。
〃Ought we to ask her to say grace？〃 she wanted to know。
〃I know a story；〃 said the Story Girl； 〃about Uncle Roger when he was just a young man。 He went to the house of a very deaf old lady and when they sat down to the table she asked him to say grace。 Uncle Roger had never done such a thing in his life and he turned as red as a beet and looked down and muttered； 'E…r…r； please excuse meII'm not accustomed to doing that。' Then he looked up and the old lady said 'Amen；' loudly and cheerfully。 She thought Uncle Roger was saying grace all the time。〃
〃I don't think it's right to tell