“Jerry, dinner is ready!”

“Okay!” said Jerry. “I thought I heard the gong.”

They came quietly into the dining room and took their seats. Even Robin and Karen were not far behind the rest. They were tired and restless in spite of their naps, and filled with excitement besides. The curtain of shock and sudden death was always hovering just behind whatever occupied their minds, reminding them that there was such a thing as death, though it had never entered their consciousness before. It made a somber background to everything.

“I fink,” said Robin gravely, speaking out of an uncomfortable silence that had seemed to envelope them as they sat down, “I fink my nuss must av died. I¾hope¾her has!”

“Why, Robin! What an awful thing to say!” reproved Hazel with a grown-up air. “That’s wicked, isn’t it, Jennifer? You mustn’t ever wish anybody to be dead.”

“Oh, no, Robin,” said Jennifer quickly, “your nurse isn’t dead. She’s merely gone away. She’s not going to be your nurse anymore.”

“Well, then I is glad,” said the baby, still gravely. “I don’t wike her! ’Sides, I’se a big boy now. I don’t need a nurse.”

“That’s it, Robin,” smiled Jennifer, with a warning look at the others who were inclined to laught at Robin. “You know, Robin, it’s sort of up to you now, whether you have to have another nurse or not. If you keep on being as good as you were this afternoon, perhaps we won’t have to hunt up another nurse for you.”

“Awight!” said Robin thoughtfully. “I will be good. It’s up to me!” And then he bowed his golden curls into his chubby hands and laughed. “It’s¾upta¾me! See?”

They all grinned at that, and then Jennifer cleverly changed the subject.

“Did you succeed in getting all your work done, Jerry?” she asked, in quite a commonplace tone, as if she were talking about some college arrangements.”

“Well yes, pretty much,” said Jerry, as if the affairs of the universe were upon his shoulders. “I arranged about the stable boy and the farm, you know.”

“Yes, that’s good,” said the sister.

“Any more aunts telephone?”

“No, I think that is finished, for tonight anyway.”

“Here’s hoping,” said the boy. “I just met Jim Delaney downtown. He was running for his train, and he waved at me and called out that we’d be hearing from him soon but he had something important on tonight. He said Uncle Blake would be around soon, too, but he had to run up tomorrow. He tried to see some of us when the morning affair was over, but he couldn’t find any of us around and he didn’t have much time.”

“Well, that’s nice!” said Jennifer with satisfaction. “That helps a lot. And those two always were good sports. When I ask advice, it will be of them, but not when the aunts are within hearing.”

“Here, too!” said Jerry with emphasis. “There goes that telephone again! I’ll bet that’s Aunt Petra! No, you sit still! I’ll answer it.”

Jerry came back after a brief interval, laughing.

“It was Aunt Petunia all right. She was in high feather. She said she was bringing over the cousins from upstate this evening for a little while to cheer us up. But I told her nothing doing. I told her you were just worn to a frazzle and I was crosser than two bears with a sore head, and we didn’t feel like talking to anybody, and we didn’t care to be cheered up tonight.