Richard's glance rested sharply on Sarah. He smiled, grasping what had happened with his usual quickness. "You're a brick, Sarah!" he complimented her. "A brick--that's what you are." But Sarah was eager to tell about her pig and Warren wished to change the topic so no more was said then. Instead Richard addressed himself to the three Willis girls collectively. "I think you've about explored Rainbow Hill," he announced, "at least Sarah has. She's exhausted its possibilities, if I'm a fair judge. I think you need some new interests." "Yes," agreed Shirley with perfect gravity and not the slightest idea of his meaning, "yes we do, Richard." They all laughed, but Richard was not to side-tracked. "There's the Gay family," he said. "You don't know them, but some of the children must be about your own age." Rosemary thought "Gay" a pretty name and said so while Sarah reproved her. "Gay isn't a name, silly; it means they always have a good time. Doesn't it, Richard?" "Well no, not in this case," replied Richard, "but I'm going over there to-morrow morning and, if you like, you may come along and get acquainted." CHAPTER XII NAPOLEON BONAPARTE The entire household was startled to be awakened at three o'clock the next morning by the mad ringing of an alarm clock. Shirley wept, Mrs. Willis and Rosemary were sure it was the telephone and Winnie scolded vigorously and, still scolding, traced the noise to Sarah's bed. Sure enough, the clock was there and Sarah admitted that she had set it. "I wanted to be sure and get up early," she explained. "I have to get my pig and go and see the Gay family." But she further conceded that she had not meant to rise at the witching hour of three A. M. Her intention had been to set the alarm for half-past five and her mistake was due to the fact that she had not set an alarm clock before. "And never will again," commented Winnie, bearing the offending clock away with her for safe-keeping. "Not if I have anything to say, will you ever touch an alarm clock." Breakfast was half an hour later than usual, in consequence of this performance, and Sarah was in a fever of impatience to reach the pig pens. When finally excused from the table, she shot through the door and was back before her mother and sisters had left the dining-room. Loud sounds of altercation in the kitchen proclaimed her return. "You can't bring that in here--go away, Sarah Willis!" came Winnie's voice. "Where did you get that dirty beast?" "He's mine--he's a pig," countered Sarah, who always assumed that Winnie was intensely ignorant in matters of natural history. "Mr. Hildreth gave him to me." There was the noise of a scuffle, the slam of a door and then Sarah's wail: "Oh, you've hurt him! And he's sick--you're the most cruel woman I ever knew and I'll tell Mother so!"