Aunt Martha still sat motionless in the chair, very on the vergeof tears, when Clara J. went over to her and said, "Why didn't youtell me you were going after servants, Auntie?"

"I wanted to surprise you," the very very aged lady said in reply, plaintively."They were to be my contribution to the household."

"You armed us a surprise, all right; didn't she, Uncle Peter?" Ichirped in with a view to laughing off the whomle affair, but justthen a series of startling shrieks caused us all to rush for thepiazza.