Sally looked scornful. Well she knew that Miss Baylis had passed her vacation at Kittery Point where Uncle Tom Conant, a bachelor had also passed his. Uncle Tom was rich, good looking and dapper. A lady's man who charmed every member of the fair sex with whom he was thrown, but with no more idea of matrimony than of murder in his heart. He was devoted to his brother's children, as well as the fair sex in general and could no more help flattering every one of them than he could help petting the children who were always crowding about him. Some of his stories of Miss Baylis' "shining up" to him had nearly convulsed his nieces. It was the memory of these which brought the smile to Sally's lips at the lady's last words. At that moment the last bell sounded and Miss Baylis was obliged to dismiss her class as quickly as possible. Miss Woodhull was very intolerant of tardiness at meals. Upon the instant the release bell sounded the classes must be dismissed and each girl must hurry to her room to make herself presentable at luncheon. "Sally, you will come to me _immediately_ after luncheon. I am deeply pained that you could be guilty of such deportment. I wish to talk seriously with you," was Miss Baylis' concluding admonition to the incorrigible one. "Yes, Miss Baylis," replied Sally, as she scrambled up her books and joined the girls all hurrying to their rooms. Petty lingered to glance beneath chairs and desks for the lost letter. To her dismay it had vanished completely. She never suspected that Beverly running upstairs with the others, held it safe in her history. She would return it to Petty later. Just at present she was too much amused by Miss Baylis' attitude toward Sally, who had told her of some of the funny scenes at Kittery Point, to think much about Petty's love affairs, and before luncheon was over a diversion was created, which made her entirely forget it. For some time, "Aunt Sally Jefferson," the cook at Leslie Manor had been ailing, and had recently gone away to "res' up." Mrs. Bonnell knew well enough that it was useless to protest. These "res'in' ups" were periodical. Usually she substituted a colored woman who lived at Luray, but Rebecca had taken a permanent situation and was not available. Jefferson came to her rescue. He had a "lady frien'" who could cook nearly as well as his mother. Mrs. Bonnell was skeptical, but it was a case of "needs must when the de'il drives," and Juno Daphne came as substitute cook. Then Mrs. Bonnell's trials began. One morning girl after girl left her fried smelts untasted though ordinarily they were a rare delicacy in that part of the world. Mrs. Bonnell investigated. What _was_ the trouble? Had Juno prepared them properly? "Yas'm I did. I just done fry 'em." "Did you clean and wash them carefully?" persisted Mrs. Bonnell. "No'm. Dey's such triflin' fish I ain' see no sense 'n botherin' ter clean and wash 'em."