Surely enough, they had a long wait under the maples just outside of town, and MacCammon persisted in pointing out the different grains coming up in the fields around them, and the different birds flitting in the branches, and the different flowers nodding by the roadside--to the intense annoyance of the doctor, who said openly he did not care two cents about grains and birds and flowers, and very much preferred to concentrate on other things that interested him more. Then came the last flying rush to the station, where father was met and welcomed as though he had not been seen only a few hours before, and they sped quickly to the manse. "Do hurry," Doris begged. "I know they have a surprise for us, and I can't wait." The surprise was evident as soon as they entered the door. For all the manse was softly, sweetly shaded, with silky green and rose-colored curtains before every window. Every light was covered with dainty shades of the same soft colors. There was no glare, no bright splashes of light, no gleam, from any corner. The doctor himself removed the heavy goggle glasses from their father's eyes. "This can't hurt anybody," he declared. "It is charming. Look around, man." "Why, you dear little girls," said Mr. Artman. "Did you do this for me?" "For all of us," said Treasure. "We knew it would make us all happy if you could be right in the home with us, and comfortable, not shut up by yourself in a dark room alone up-stairs, and so we did it for the whole family." "Where is Miss Carlton?" asked Doris. "She left yesterday," said Zee. "We wanted to have the house to ourselves." "But wherever did you get the money?" wondered Doris. "Ladies' Aid," they shouted triumphantly. "We were going to do it with cheaper stuff out of our allowance--but when they heard about it they chipped in--and, oh, how we have worked." Zee danced about on joyous toes. "And the house cleaning is all done--and come up-stairs and see father's room." There was not even a white coverlet on the bed in his room, only the very palest and softest of colors--and upholstering on the chairs in deep green tones--even the paper on the wall was changed. "Whoever in the world--" gasped Doris. "Bangs and the Corduroy Crab," exulted Zee. "They worked and worked, and made the whole room over. Isn't the Curious Cat a darling not to tell you? He knew it all the time." Doris held out her hand to him impulsively, and he took it, and kept it in his. "And that isn't all--sit down, everybody," cried Zee nervously. "We haven't half shown you everything. Sit down, and-- You tell it, Treasure, your part comes next." "You tell it, Zee, you talk more--I mean better, than I do."