The Story of the Big Front Door | Page 7

excuse me," said Helen,
whose politeness rarely failed her, rising and putting away her
handkerchief. Mrs. Hazeltine saw pretty clearly how matters stood.
"Never mind, my dear," she said; "perhaps you would like to take a
drive with me. I am going out to Cousin John's."
Helen was her favorite among the children, because she was quiet and
demure, and did not tear and soil her clothes as Bess and Louise did.
Helen on her part looked up to Aunt Marcia with deep admiration, and
meant to be just like her when she was grown. So she ran off very
happily to have her dress changed, while Mrs. Hazeltine waylaid Aunt
Zélie as she came downstairs ready for a walk.
"Dear me! the children have been in mischief," was this lady's inward
exclamation, for she knew the signs of disapproval, and felt like
running away, as she used to do when a child, from Sister Marcia's
lectures.
She only sat down on the bottom step, however, and waited.
"How do you do, Zélie? I see you are going out and I shall not detain
you for more than a minute. Little Helen is coming to drive with me."
She seated herself in a judicial attitude on one of the high-backed hall
chairs.
"I do not wish to interfere," she continued, "But I should like to inquire
if you know where the children are this afternoon?"
"I have a general idea," Aunt Zélie replied, slowly putting on her glove
and reflecting that it would take more than her sister's powers to be able
to say at any given moment exactly where they were.
"I thought you did not know. They are running through the streets,
Louise without her hat. It may do for boys, but for little girls I think it
disgraceful."

"I told them they might go to the Ford's; they do not play in the street.
You must have seen them when they were on their way there, and I do
not object to their running."
Mrs. Hazeltine shook her head. "How can you think it proper for Bess
and Louise to race with the boys in that fashion? You seem to be
conscientious, yet you do not restrain them in the least."
"I own I do not know how to make a difference between girls and boys.
Why are they born into the same families if they are not meant to play
together? And if they are to be strong and healthy they must be out of
doors. I am sorry to seem to set my judgment up against yours, but--"
"You are stubborn, Zélie, like all the Hazeltines. I believe in fresh air as
much as you do, but I should send Bess and Louise to walk with Joanna.
However, I see it is of no use to talk to you. I should never mention the
subject at all if I did not feel a deep interest in the children." Mrs.
Hazeltine rose. "Here comes Helen," she said, "so I'll not detain you
any longer," and taking her little niece by the hand she sailed away.
Meanwhile the culprits were taking breath on the grass in the Fords'
back yard, Ikey hospitably treating his guests to apples and salt.
"I suppose," Bess began, taking a bite of her apple, "that it is rather
mean to run away from Helen, but we have been very good to her
to-day, haven't we, Louise?"
"Yes, we have; and the more you do for her the more she thinks you
ought to do."
"She can't expect to go everywhere we go," said Carl decidedly.
The business on hand this afternoon was nothing more or less than the
erection of a telephone which had been constructed by the boys out of
fruit cans and pieces of old kid gloves. The main difficulty lay in
getting their line across the street, for it was to communicate between
Ikey's room and the star chamber. An attempt had been made once
before, but the result was such a mortifying failure that their energy and

interest flagged for a while.
The trees caused most of the trouble. Their line first caught in one of
these at such a distance from the pavement that while they were
absorbed in getting it off a gentleman who happened to be passing had
his hat suddenly removed. This accident convulsed everybody but Bess,
who in great embarrassment tried to explain that it was not intended for
a practical joke. Finally it was caught and broken by the angry driver of
a market wagon. Carl, who disliked to give anything up, had ever since
been trying to think of a plan.
"There must be some way," he said as he lay on his back looking up at
the sky.
"I know!" cried Bess,