"My brother John says he is going to work these cliffs as soon as he finishes his college course of engineering," said Polly. "And Tom Latimer is going to be his partner!" added Eleanor, watching her sister closely. "Nolla, I didn't tell you that, at all!" cried Polly. "Tom Latimer! Does _she_ know him?" asked Barbara of Anne. "I don't know, Bob; Paul and he are great friends of John Brewster's, you know." Polly would not deign to look at Eleanor again, and took the homeward trail without another word as she felt pained at her newly found friend's mis-statement of facts. But Eleanor had done it all for friendship's sake. She knew what a radical change all this information would make in Barbara's estimation of the Brewsters and the ranch, so she said more than she herself really believed true. At that moment the dinner-horn sounded and the girls started for the house, without making further comment on the cliffs. CHAPTER IX SEVERAL MISUNDERSTANDINGS As the four girls came around the corner of the ranch-house Sary banged a plate of hot biscuits upon the table. Some of the biscuits bounced off and rolled across the snowy cloth, so Sary made a swift lunge to catch them before they fell upon the ground. Without hesitation, she replaced the biscuits on the plate and glared at the boarders as she mumbled to herself: "Sech high-filutin' a'rs Ah never did see afore!" The strangers looked at each other, wondering what the maid's perturbed manner portended. But Sary flounced back to the kitchen sending an angry glance over her shoulder before she entered that sacred precinct. She quickly returned with a glass dish of pear preserves and another dish of home-pickled peaches. These were so placed as to flank the biscuits when Sary spied an inquisitive hornet about to settle upon the preserves. "Git out o' that!" shrilled she, whacking at the insect with her kitchen towel. The hornet resented the vicious slap and flew straight for Sary's red head. She unceremoniously ducked and ran. But the insect buzzed after her with evil intent, so Sary ran for her sanctuary, slamming the screen door safely between herself and her pursuer. The audience watching beside the table laughed merrily at the rout. At the sudden entrance of the maid into the kitchen, Mrs. Brewster asked, without looking up: "Did you place the butter and milk on the table, Sary?" "It are!" from Sary, curtly. Mrs. Brewster looked up in surprise. She saw Sary on the safe side of the screen-door glaring at the hornet, which was crawling slowly towards the crack in the opening, while buzzing threateningly, now and then. "There's a hornet, Sary--better drive it away before you venture out again." "Ah are." "Take the kettle and dash some boiling water on it. It sounds angry enough to sting."