“‘Well, we must try to make you have a pleasant time,’ she replied.  ‘Sarah, please call Johnny and tell him his guests have arrived.’

“But Sarah had been answering a second peal of the bell, and now appeared with a very queer smile on her face at the head of a line of three girls and a small boy, whom she introduced by saying: 

“’A few more children, ma’am, who have come to take tea with master Johnny.’

“‘Why, really,’ exclaimed Mrs. Morris, in a sort of flutter, as she helped Sarah to seat the new arrivals.  ’The house is hardly in order for company.’

“The children appeared quite embarrassed, and ranged themselves silently and sedately on the chairs to which they had been directed.

“’Dear me, Sarah, what a predicament to be in!  Where do you suppose Johnny scraped up all these youngsters?  I don’t know what I ought to do to him for playing me this trick.’  Mrs. Morris said this to the maid as they came to my side of the room.  ’Think of all the work to be done, and which will have to be stopped for the day—­the house all upside down—­no chance for preparations for an extra supper for his company.  And that big girl bespoke ice-cream as soon as she entered.’  And then Mrs. Morris and Sarah turned into the recess of the bay window and laughed softly.  Her vexation seemed to pass away in a few minutes, for she added, ’We must make the best of it, since they are here, and let everything else go.  But there’s the bell; I expect it’s another batch of Johnny’s friends.’

“And so it proved, for these were old acquaintances, eight or ten of his schoolmates.  Little misses dressed in fine style, in dainty ruffled frocks and necklaces and bright hair-ribbons, tripped gracefully in and advanced to meet Mrs. Morris, quite like grown ladies in their manners.  Behind them came several boys, spick and span in fresh white linen waists and silk neckties and well-fitting shoes.

“’Ah! here are Frances and Naomi and Justice and Karl and Mary Ethel and Philip and Jessica and all the rest,’ said Mrs. Morris, giving them each a hand of welcome as they gathered about her in a pretty group.  ’Will you make yourselves quite at home and help me to entertain these other visitors till Johnny comes in?  I don’t know what keeps him so long.  If you’ll excuse me I’ll go and look for him.  There are the pictures in the portfolio that you might like to show to these little girls.  And there’s the admiral, our redbird, and Bessie, the parrot.  Maybe they would like to look at them.’

“The two girls whom she had designated as Jessica and Frances looked at the strange children a minute but made no movement to carry out Mrs. Morris’ wishes.  Instead they drew a little apart and began to talk to each other.  Mary Ethel, a round-faced girl who giggled a great deal behind her fan, crossed over to where sat the large girl who had mentioned the ice-cream, and started a conversation by remarking that it was a warm day.  The girl made no audible answer, only nodded.