"They'll arrive Wednesday night and stay over until Friday morning. You may help me make the guest-rooms fresh and pretty for them." "Yes; I'll stick pins in the cushions to make the letters of their names. Shall I?" "Well, no; I don't believe I care for that particular fancy. But I'll show you how I do like the pins put in, and you may do it for me. Now, run out and play, we'll have ample time for our housekeeping affairs later on." Away went Marjorie, after bestowing another tumultuous bear-hug on her mother. She whisked on her hat and coat, and with her mittens still in her hand, flew out of the door, banging it after her. "Cold weather always goes to that child's muscles," thought Mrs. Maynard, as she heard the noise. "She never bangs doors in summer time." "Wherever have you been?" cried the others, as Marjorie joined them on the hill. "Talking to Mother. I meant to come out right away after school, but I forgot about it." Gladys Fulton looked at her curiously. She wasn't "intimate" with her mother, as Marjorie was, and she didn't quite understand the relationship. In another minute Midge was on her sled, and, with one red-mittened hand waving on high, was whizzing down the hill. King caught up to her, and the others followed, and then they all walked back up the hill together. "Going to have fun, Thanksgiving Day?" asked Dick Fulton, as they climbed along. "No. We're going to have a silly old Thanksgiving," said Marjorie. "Only grown-ups to visit us, and that means we don't have any good of Father at all." "Aw, horrid!" said King. "Is that the programme? I didn't know it." "Yes!" went on Marjorie, "and I've promised Mother to behave myself and to make all you others behave, too." Her own eyes danced, as she said this, and King burst into laughter. "That's a good one!" he cried. "Why, it will take the whole Maynard family to make you behave yourself, let alone the rest of us." "No, truly, I'm going to be good, 'cause Mother asked me most 'specially." Marjorie's earnest air was convincing, but King was skeptical. "You mean to be good, all right," he said, "but at the party you'll do some crazy thing without thinking." "Very likely," said Mopsy, cheerfully, and then they all slid down hill again. The day before Thanksgiving Day everything was in readiness for the guests. Mr. Maynard had come home early, and the whole family were in the drawing-room to await the arrival. This, in itself, was depressing, for to be dressed up and sitting in state at four o'clock in the afternoon is unusual, and, therefore, uncomfortable. Marjorie had a new frock, of the material that Kitty called "Alberta Ross." It was very pretty, being white, trimmed here and there with knots of scarlet velvet, and Midget was greatly pleased with it, though she looked longingly out of the window, and thought of her red cloth play-dress and her shining skates.