Lilith shook her head in despair. “We can’t have him! Did he telegraph?” “No--special-delivery. He says that unexpectedly he is to have his vacation now, and he asks if it will be convenient for him to come.” “Tell him no!” “But how can I refuse--there’s Dolly!” Lilith scowled savagely. “I feel like swearing.” Polly broke into a laugh. “Don’t!” Lilith was almost in tears. “I’d cry if ’twould help us out, but it won’t. If I ever stay home long enough I’ll learn to cook. Mother knows every twist and turn of cookery--why didn’t I have her teach me!” “Same here!” Lilith jerked out. “There’s no sense in a girl’s not knowing how to make bread and roast meat and all that. See how I spoiled the dinner this noon! I was so mortified it choked me--I couldn’t eat.” “It wasn’t so bad,” fibbed Polly sympathetically. “I know! I’ve eaten Benedicta’s pot roasts. It was horribly burned.” “Well, this isn’t getting us anywhere,” said Polly. “If only we could see Benedicta coming up the road! That’s the way it would happen in a story.” “It won’t happen in our story,” retorted Polly with a little laugh. “I’m sorry enough to cry for poor Dolly--we mustn’t ever let her know--but I will write to Sardis M. that he can’t come till Benedicta gets home.” “Polly, you mustn’t!” “You told me to. And what else is there to do? We can’t ask him to come and eat such stuff as we’ve been having for the last day or two.” “No,” agreed Lilith with a doleful sigh. They carried the letter to Overlook that afternoon, and received an answer on the second day thereafter. Polly opened it behind closed doors, only Lilith looking on. “Oh!” she gasped; but Lilith could not tell whether it was of relief or dismay. She caught the sheet as Polly tossed it over to her, and read:-- DEAR MISS DUDLEY: I cannot leave you in such a dilemma. I will bring up a new cook to-morrow. Then if you don’t want me to stay, I’ll go. With love for Dorothy Faithfully yours SARDIS MERRIFIELD “Some of those country women,” said Lilith. “I’m afraid she won’t suit Dr. Abbe--he’s dreadfully finicky.” “Country women generally know how to cook,” returned Polly. “Anyway, it won’t be our lookout if she doesn’t.” “Maybe it’s the girl he boards with,” suggested Dolly a while later. “Does he board with a girl?” laughed Polly. The laugh did not sound true. “No,” answered Dolly, “it’s the girl’s mother that keeps him, but he says the girl makes beautiful things to eat.” “She’s probably the one,” agreed Lilith. Polly jumped up and ran to see if the blackberries on the stove were burning. CHAPTER XXX THE NEW COOK It was nearly four o’clock when Sardis arrived. The family were on the veranda, each curious to see the cook whom the young man was to bring. As he appeared alone at the big birch-tree they gave him scant notice, their eyes passing from him to the place beyond where the new cook would first come into view. They watched in vain.