the golden road-第17章
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〃Well； Peg and Providence don't seem to go together very well； somehow；〃 retorted Dan。 〃If Peg is a witch it must be the Other One she's in co。 with。〃
〃Dan； it's getting to be simply scandalous the way you talk；〃 said Felicity。 〃I just wish ma could hear you。〃
〃Is soap in porridge any worse than tooth…powder in rusks； lovely creature？〃 asked Dan。
〃Dan； Dan；〃 admonished Cecily； between her coughs； 〃remember it's Sunday。〃
〃It seems hard to remember that；〃 said Peter。 〃It doesn't seem a mite like Sunday and it seems awful long since yesterday。〃
〃Cecily； you've got a dreadful cold；〃 said the Story Girl anxiously。
〃In spite of Peg's ginger tea；〃 added Felix。
〃Oh； that ginger tea was AWFUL；〃 exclaimed poor Cecily。 〃I thought I'd never get it downit was so hot with gingerand there was so much of it！ But I was so frightened of offending Peg I'd have tried to drink it all if there had been a bucketful。 Oh； yes； it's very easy for you all to laugh！ You didn't have to drink it。〃
〃We had to eat two meals； though；〃 said Felicity with a shiver。 〃And I don't know when those dishes of hers were washed。 I just shut my eyes and took gulps。〃
〃Did you notice the soapy taste in the porridge？〃 asked the Story Girl。
〃Oh； there were so many queer tastes about it I didn't notice one more than another；〃 answered Felicity wearily。
〃What bothers me；〃 remarked Peter absently； 〃is that skull。 Do you suppose Peg really finds things out by it？〃
〃Nonsense！ How could she？〃 scoffed Felix； bold as a lion in daylight。
〃She didn't SAY she did； you know；〃 I said cautiously。
〃Well； we'll know in time if the things she said were going to happen do；〃 mused Peter。
〃Do you suppose your father is really coming home？〃 queried Felicity。
〃I hope not；〃 answered Peter decidedly。
〃You ought to be ashamed of yourself；〃 said Felicity severely。
〃No； I oughtn't。 Father got drunk all the time he was home； and wouldn't work and was bad to mother；〃 said Peter defiantly。 〃She had to support him as well as herself and me。 I don't want to see any father coming home； and you'd better believe it。 Of course； if he was the right sort of a father it'd be different。〃
〃What I would like to know is if Aunt Olivia is going to be married；〃 said the Story Girl absently。 〃I can hardly believe it。 But now that I think of itUncle Roger has been teasing her ever since she was in Halifax last summer。〃
〃If she does get married you'll have to come and live with us；〃 said Cecily delightedly。
Felicity did not betray so much delight and the Story Girl remarked with a weary little sigh that she hoped Aunt Olivia wouldn't。 We all felt rather weary； somehow。 Peg's predictions had been unsettling； and our nerves had all been more or less strained during our sojourn under her roof。 We were glad when we found ourselves at home。
The folks had not been at all troubled about us； but it was because they were sure the storm had come up before we would think of leaving Cousin Mattie's and not because they had received any mysterious message from Peg's skull。 We were relieved at this； but on the whole； our adventure had not done much towards clearing up the vexed question of Peg's witchcraft。
CHAPTER IX
EXTRACTS FROM THE FEBRUARY AND MARCH NUMBERS OF Our Magazine
RESOLUTION HONOUR ROLL
Miss Felicity King。
HONOURABLE MENTION
Mr。 Felix King。 Mr。 Peter Craig。 Miss Sara Ray。
EDITORIAL
The editor wishes to make a few remarks about the Resolution Honour Roll。 As will be seen； only one name figures on it。 Felicity says she has thought a beautiful thought every morning before breakfast without missing one morning； not even the one we were at Peg Bowen's。 Some of our number think it not fair that Felicity should be on the honour roll （FELICITY； ASIDE： 〃That's Dan； of course。〃） when she only made one resolution and won't tell us what any of the thoughts were。 So we have decided to give honourable mention to everybody who has kept one resolution perfect。 Felix has worked all his arithmetic problems by himself。 He complains that he never got more than a third of them right and the teacher has marked him away down； but one cannot keep resolutions without some inconvenience。 Peter has never played tit…tat…x in church or got drunk and says it wasn't as bad as he expected。 （PETER； INDIGNANTLY： 〃I never said it。〃 CECILY； SOOTHINGLY： 〃Now； Peter； Bev only meant that as a joke。〃） Sara Ray has never talked any mean gossip； but does not find conversation as interesting as it used to be。 （SARA RAY； WONDERINGLY： 〃I don't remember of saying that。〃）
Felix did not eat any apples until March； but forgot and ate seven the day we were at Cousin Mattie's。 （FELIX： 〃I only ate five！〃） He soon gave up trying to say what he thought always。 He got into too much trouble。 We think Felix ought to change to old Grandfather King's rule。 It was； 〃Hold your tongue when you can； and when you can't tell the truth。〃 Cecily feels she has not read all the good books she might； because some she tried to read were very dull and the Pansy books were so much more interesting。 And it is no use trying not to feel bad because her hair isn't curly and she has marked that resolution out。 The Story Girl came very near to keeping her resolution to have all the good times possible； but she says she missed two； if not three； she might have had。 Dan refuses to say anything about his resolutions and so does the editor。
PERSONALS
We regret that Miss Cecily King is suffering from a severe cold。
Mr。 Alexander Marr of Markdale died very suddenly last week。 We never heard of his death till he was dead。
Miss Cecily King wishes to state that she did not ask the question about 〃Holy Moses〃 and the other word in the January number。 Dan put it in for a mean joke。
The weather has been cold and fine。 We have only had one bad storm。 The coasting on Uncle Roger's hill continues good。
Aunt Eliza did not favour us with a visit after all。 She took cold and had to go home。 We were sorry that she had a cold but glad that she had to go home。 Cecily said she thought it wicked of us to be glad。 But when we asked her 〃cross her heart〃 if she wasn't glad herself she had to say she was。
Miss Cecily King has got three very distinguished names on her quilt square。 They are the Governor and his wife and a witch's。
The King family had the honour of entertaining the Governor's wife to tea on February the seventeenth。 We are all invited to visit Government House but some of us think we won't go。
A tragic event occurred last Tuesday。 Mrs。 James Frewen came to tea and there was no pie in the house。 Felicity has not yet fully recovered。
A new boy is coming to school。 His name is Cyrus Brisk and his folks moved up from Markdale。 He says he is going to punch Willy Fraser's head if Willy keeps on thinking he is Miss Cecily King's beau。
（CECILY： 〃I haven't ANY beau！ I don't mean to think of such a thing for at least eight years yet！〃）
Miss Alice Reade of Charlottetown Royalty has come to Carlisle to teach music。 She boards at Mr。 Peter Armstrong's。 The girls are all going to take music lessons from her。 Two descriptions of her will be found in another column。 Felix wrote one； but the girls thought he did not do her justice； so Cecily wrote another one。 She admits she copied most of the description out of Valeria H。 Montague's story Lord Marmaduke's First； Last； and Only Love； or the Bride of the Castle by the Sea； but says they fit Miss Reade better than anything she could make up。
HOUSEHOLD DEPARTMENT
Always keep the kitchen tidy and then you needn't mind if company comes unexpectedly。
ANXIOUS INQUIRER： We don't know anything that will take the stain out of a silk dress when a soft…boiled egg is dropped on it。 Better not wear your silk dress so often； especially when boiling eggs。
Ginger tea is good for colds。
OLD HOUSEKEEPER： Yes； when the baking…powder gives out you can use tooth…powder instead。
（FELICITY： 〃I never wrote that！ I don't care； I don't think it's fair for other people to be putting things in my department！〃）
Our apples are not keeping well this year。 They are rotting； and b
