The Staying Guest Read online

  THE STAYING GUEST

  by

  CAROLYN WELLS

  Author of "The Story of Betty," "Eight Girls and a Dog," etc.

  With Illustrations by W. Granville Smith

  New YorkThe Century Co.1904

  Copyright, 1904, byThe Century Co.Published October, 1904

  The DeVinne Press

  TO DEAR DOROTHY ESTERBROOK

  CONTENTS

  CHAPTER PAGE I Primrose Hall 3 II Ladybird 17 III A Guest for the Night 28 IV A Few Questions 35 V Another Attempt 54 VI Up a Tree 68 VII Civil War 81 VIII Stella Russell 93 IX Doing Right 106 X A Self-made Burglar 120 XI A Matrimonial Bureau 137 XII A Scriptural Command 152 XIII A Ridiculous Party 165 XIV Some Letters 180 XV The Arrival of the Earl 191 XVI Ladybird Triumphant 203 XVII In the Apple-tree 218 XVIII Lavinia Lovell 235 XIX Ladybird _vs._ Lavinia 247 XX Half-sisters 260 XXI An Orchard Wedding 272

  LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS

  PAGE "I'm Ladybird, and I've come to stay" _Frontispiece_ Precisely at ten o'clock the procession formed 10 It's postmarked "London" 18 "Should _auld_ acquaintance _be_ forgot?" 43 Suddenly Matthew's face appeared 57 "Come down, little lady" 71 She worked diligently and rapidly 91 Ladybird at school 108 "You see, Cloppy-dog, it's a crisis" 115 "Come on, Matthew" 132 The two firemen 159 Ladybird marshaling her guests 169 Writing the letter 183 After dinner they all sat on the veranda 209 Across the line of stepping-stones 221 Ladybird's flying figure 225 "You talk like a lawyer" 249 The wedding under the trees 279

  THE STAYING GUEST