While they did the work, Mary Jane answered all the questions about Mother and Alice and Father that Grandmother could ask and then, as soon as the last dish was put away the two went upstairs and unpacked the trunk.  Such fun as it was to put all her own ribbons and handkerchiefs into the funny little bureau that stood in Mary Jane’s room!  And to hang up her dresses, or watch Grandmother hang them, in the queer little closet that had a latch like a front gate!  Mary Jane was to have a whole room and a whole closet and a bureau all to herself, and she wouldn’t feel a bit lonesome because Grandmother’s room was right next and the door stood open all the night long, Grandmother said.

When everything was in neat order, Mary Jane put on her dark blue rompers and big blue sun hat, and they went downstairs.

“There now,” said Grandmother; “we’re all fixed.  And before I do another thing, I’m going to take you all around and show you everything you want to see.”

They started down the back walk toward the barn that looked so interesting.  But they hadn’t gone half the way to it before the telephone, back in the house, gave a long, loud ring.

EXPLORING THE FARM

“There now!” exclaimed Mrs. Hodges impatiently, “that’s the ’phone and I’ll have to answer and see what’s wanted.  You walk along slowly, Mary Jane, right over to the barn and through the gate and I’ll hurry and catch up with you as quickly as I can.”

Left alone, Mary Jane walked past the wood shed; passed what seemed to be a tool house because through the open door she saw tools of all sorts and sizes; and on across the yard toward the barn yard gate.

“She said ‘through the gate,’” thought Mary Jane, “and this must be the gate.  I wonder if it opens?” She shook the gate as hard as she could but it didn’t open; it didn’t even look as though it intended to open; it looked shut for all day, and Mary Jane was almost discouraged about getting into the barn yard till she happened to think of a gate at the back of Doris’s yard (her little playmate Doris who lived next door to Mary Jane’s own home) that looked surprisingly like this gate.  To be sure it was little, and this gate was big and wide, but both had boards crosswise, just right for climbing.

“We climbed on Doris’s when it wouldn’t open,” she thought, “so I guess this one will climb too.”

She put her foot carefully on the first bar—­nothing happened; on the second—­everything seemed all right; on the third and in a minute she was over and climbing proudly down on the other side.

“Grandfather!  Grandfather!” she called as she ran gayly toward the barn; “I did it!  The gate wouldn’t open so I—­Oh, dear!  Oh!  Oh!  It’s coming! Grandfather!” she screamed breathlessly as she saw, coming out of the barn—­not Grandfather as she had expected—­but a great, fat, grunting pig!