MRS. HOWARD SLATER: } Of Henrietta's Household. SIMMONS: } THE JANITOR: An Unappreciated Hero. DR. TUCKER: A Clergyman with More Children than Money. DR. BENNETT: A Physician. MR. BLACK: A Friend to Children. MRS. CRANE: His Sister. AUNTY JANE: Marjory's Sole Visible Relative. SOME MOTHERS AND BROTHERS. MRS. MALONY: The Light-hearted Egg-woman. ILLUSTRATIONS MY SOUL, WHAT ARE YOU, ANYWAY _Frontispiece_ PAGE ROSA MARIE AND THE SIDEWALK WERE ONE 16 THE STURDY FELLOW CARRIED HER OUT OF THE ROOM 112 THE DECIDEDLY DEPRESSED FOUR STARTED DOWN THE STREET 164 "ANOTHER 'EATHEN GOD FROM HINDIA" 234 THE ADOPTING OF ROSA MARIE CHAPTER I Borrowed Babies THE oldest inhabitant said that Lakeville was experiencing an unusual fall. He would probably have said the same thing if the high-perched town had accidentally tumbled off the bluff into the blue lake; but in this instance, he referred merely to the weather, which was certainly unusually mild for autumn. It was not, however, the oldest, but four of the youngest citizens that rejoiced most in this unusual prolonging of summer; for the continued warm weather made it possible for those devoted friends, Jean Mapes, Marjory Vale, Mabel Bennett and little Bettie Tucker, to spend many a delightful hour in their precious Dandelion Cottage, the real, tumble-down house that was now, after so many narrow escapes, safely their very own. Some day, to be sure, it would be torn down to make room for a habitable dwelling, but that unhappy day was still too remote to cause any uneasiness. Of course, when very cold weather should come, it would be necessary to close the beloved Cottage, for there was no heating plant, there were many large cracks over and under the doors and around the windows; and by lying very flat on the dining-room floor and peering under the baseboards, one could easily see what was happening in the next yard. These, and other defects, would surely make the little house uninhabitable in winter; but while the unexpectedly extended summer lasted, the Cottagers were rejoicing over every pleasant moment of weather and praying hard for other pleasant moments. Of all the games played in Dandelion Cottage, the one called "Mother" was the most popular. To play it, it was necessary, first of all, to divide the house into four equal parts. As there were five rooms, this division might seem to offer no light task; but, by first subtracting the kitchen, it was possible to solve this difficult mathematical problem to the Cottagers' entire satisfaction.