It was not many days before the mail brought a grateful letter from Mrs. Halford, and ecstatic ones from the girls, in reply to Mrs. Morton's invitation. They would arrive with Alice and Dick and Sherm--for Sherm was coming, too--on the twentieth. "Not quite two weeks. That means we must begin getting ready at once, and you mustn't think because we have a servant coming, that you won't need to help, Jane. One girl can't do all the work for so many." Chicken Little had not yet said she was sorry and her Mother was inclined to be severe with her in consequence. Mrs. Morton was rather worried, too, because she had seemed pale and listless for two or three days past. But when she asked if she were not feeling well, Chicken Little had replied carelessly: "Why, I'm all right, Mother." They were hurrying to get the cherry crop cared for before the guests arrived. There would be enough to do after they came to keep them all busy without preserving, Mrs. Morton declared. One day when they were seeding cherries, Marian noticed that Jane was eating only half ripe ones. "What on earth are you eating those green things for, child?" "Oh, just for fun." "Well, it won't be funny if you eat many of them. I don't know anything that'll make you sick quicker than green cherries. They're acid enough when they're ripe." In the hurry of preparing for the guests, Marian thought nothing further about it. Three nights later, Dr. Morton wakened them at midnight to know if they had any calomel. "The Chicken's mighty sick," he said. "And I gave the last I had to Mrs. Benton for Mary." "I haven't any calomel, Father, but I've got some castor oil," Marian announced after some rummaging. "That will go hard with Jane, she loathes it. But she'll have to take it down I guess. I can't imagine what ails her, she's vomiting and has a high fever." A sudden recollection struck Marian. "Maybe she has been eating too many cherries." "Ripe cherries oughtn't to hurt her and they have been plentiful so long, I shouldn't think she would overeat." "But I have seen her eating them when they weren't ripe. I believe that's what is the matter." "I hope so, I have been a little afraid of scarlet fever from her symptoms." Dr. Morton seemed relieved. When he had gone, Marian turned to Frank. She had been recalling several things and putting them together. "Frank Morton, I verily believe that sister of yours has been eating half-ripe cherries for a penance." "Penance? Penance for what?" "I don't exactly know, but it has something to do with her running off to the Captain's." "Well, if she's as big a fool as all that, she deserves to have a stomach ache. Come, stop worrying." "But Frank, I'm afraid I'm the guilty one who suggested the idea to her. Goodness knows, I hadn't the slightest intention of doing so." Marian related the whole story. "Well, Sis certainly gets queer notions into her head, but it may not be that at all. Anyhow, you can't do anything to-night."