I returned home full of happy plans for my vacation.  When I look back it seems strange that the gay and inocent young girl of the train can have been!.  So much that is tradgic has since happened.  If I had not had a cinder in my eye things would have been diferent.  But why repine?  Fate frequently hangs thus on a single hair—­an eye-lash, as one may say.

Father met me at the train.  I had got the aformentioned cinder in my eye, and a very nice young man had taken it out for me.  I still cannot see what harm there was in our chating together after that, especialy as we said nothing to object to.  But father looked very disagreeable about it, and the young man went away in a hurry.  But it started us off wrong, although I got him—­father—­to promise not to tell mother.

“I do wish you would be more careful, Bab,” he said with a sort of sigh.

“Careful!” I said.  “Then it’s not doing Things, but being found out, that matters!”

“Careful in your conduct, Bab.”

“He was a beautiful young man, father,” I observed, sliping my arm through his.

“Barbara, Barbara!  Your poor mother——­”

“Now look here, father” I said.  “If it was mother who was interested in him it might be troublesome.  But it is only me.  And I warn you, here and now, that I expect to be thrilled at the sight of a Nice Young Man right along.  It goes up my back and out the roots of my hair.”

Well, my father is a real Person, so he told me to talk sense, and gave me twenty dollars, and agreed to say nothing about the young man to mother, if I would root for Canada against the Adirondacks for the summer, because of the Fishing.

Mother was waiting in the hall for me, but she held me off with both hands.

“Not until you have bathed and changed your clothing, Barbara,” she said.  “I have never had it.”

She meant the whooping cough.  The school will recall the epademic which ravaged us last June, and changed us from a peaceful institution to what sounded like a dog show.

Well, I got the same old room, not much fixed up, but they had put up diferent curtains anyhow, thank goodness.  I had been hinting all spring for new Furnature, but my Familey does not take a hint unless it is cloroformed first, and I found the same old stuff there.

They beleive in waiting until a girl makes her Debut before giving her anything but the necessarys of life.

Sis was off for a week-end, but Hannah was there, and I kissed her.  Not that I’m so fond of her, but I had to kiss sombody.

“Well, Miss Barbara!” she said.  “How you’ve grown!”

That made me rather sore, because I am not a child any longer, but they all talk to me as if I were but six years old, and small for my age.

“I’ve stopped growing, Hannah,” I said, with dignaty.  “At least, almost.  But I see I still draw the nursery.”

Hannah was opening my suitcase, and she looked up and said:  “I tried to get you the Blue room, Miss Bab.  But Miss Leila said she needed it for house Parties.”