Tabithas Vacation | Page 6

repeated Gloriana, snuggling closer to the big
armchair in which her adopted father sat, and smiling contentedly at
thought of the new life opening up before her.
"Two weeks mean fourteen whole days," he warned them.

"Yes," they giggled, "fourteen whole days!"
"And six lively children can raise quite a racket."
"The house is too far from the rest of town for their noise to bother
anyone else," Tabitha reminded him.
"That's another point. What would you do if burglars broke in at night?
You would be too far from town to call help."
"There is nothing at McKittrick's to burgle," his daughter retorted
triumphantly. "I am not afraid."
"Nor I," said Gloriana, though somewhat faintly, for of a sudden a new
phase of the matter had presented itself. She was still afraid of the black
desert nights, and burglars were a constant source of terror to her,
though never in all her life had she encountered any of that species of
mankind.
"The cottage on the cliff is no more isolated than our cottage here in the
hollow, now that the Carsons are away," continued the black-haired girl.
"It would be just as easy--easier, in fact, to get help if we needed it
there, than here; for the McKittrick house is on the side of the mountain
overlooking the town, while our place is hidden from the rest of Silver
Bow by that hill. We can see only the roof of the assayer's office from
here, and that is the nearest building to ours except Carrie's house."
"That's true!" exclaimed Gloriana with such an air of relief that Mr.
Catt could not refrain from smiling.
"And besides, nothing is going to happen in two weeks," continued
Tabitha.
"Suppose Miss Davis doesn't return in two weeks? I thought you
wanted to spend your summer at the beach."
"Oh, Miss Davis will be back on time," was the confident reply. "And
we had planned to stay here a few weeks anyway, you know. Myra

won't be looking for us before the first of July, for we had expected
Tom would come home early in the summer for his vacation instead of
having to wait until fall, and so made our plans accordingly."
He smiled at the grown-up air she had assumed, then sighed, for
something in her quiet self-assurance and dignified poise suddenly
brought home to him the realization that his little girl was fast growing
up. The sensitive, rebellious, little spitfire of a few months ago had
developed into a charming, gentle-mannered maid; and while he
rejoiced in gaining so sweet a daughter, he disliked to lose the wild,
untamed elf who had so suddenly blossomed into a young lady before
he could in any measure atone for the unhappy years of her loveless
childhood. He would have kept her a little girl all her life, had he been
able; but here she was springing up into the beauty of a glorious
womanhood before his very eyes. So he sighed as he thought of his lost
opportunities, then abruptly asked, "How old are you, Tabitha?"
"Going on sixteen, daddy."
"And you, my other daughter?" turning to Gloriana sitting silently on
her low stool by his side.
"Fourteen, sir."
"Rather youthful housekeepers," he drawled, teasingly.
"But experienced in spite of youth," Tabitha gayly retorted. "Why,
Miss King says we are the two most promising domestic science pupils
she has. Now what do you think of that?"
"That she is right," came the prompt though unexpected reply; "and if
you really think you want to play Good Samaritan for a couple weeks,
you have my hearty sanction. The fact of the matter is, I find it
impossible to be here at home much for the next fortnight, myself;
possibly not at all after tonight. So you might just as well be mothering
the McKittricks as left alone in this end of the town, so far as I can
see."

"I knew you would say yes," sighed Tabitha contentedly. "You shall
see what model housekeepers your daughters can be. We'll make you
proud of us."
"I have no doubt of it," he answered heartily. "But if you begin your
arduous duties to-morrow, it is time you were in bed this minute. Fly
away now!"
So they ran laughingly away to their room, both secretly glad of the
chance to seek their pillows an hour earlier, for that day at the
McKittrick cottage had been a busy one, and though neither would
acknowledge it to the other, feet, arms and backs ached sadly. But the
next morning, after a refreshing night's sleep, the duet was ready and
eager for the novel role they were about to play; and just as soon as
their own simple tasks were done, the necessary clothes packed and the
little cottage made