"There he stood with his pink just as I did--only he had a brown beard, and he didn't have Spunk--and I had to telephone to prepare folks, just as you did.

And the room--the room! I fixed the room, too," she babbled breathlessly, "only I had curling tongs and hair pins in it instead of guns and spiders!" "Child, child! what _are_ you talking about ?" William's face was red.
"A _man!_--_Mary Jane!_" Cyril was merely cross.
"Billy, what does this mean ?" Bertram had grown a little white.
Billy began to laugh again, yet she was plainly trying to control herself.
"I'll tell you.

I must tell you.

Aunt Hannah is keeping him up-stairs so I can tell you," she panted.

"But it was so funny, when I expected a girl, you know, to see him with his brown beard, and he was so tall and big! And, of course, it made me think how _I_ came, and was a girl when you expected a boy; and Mrs.Carleton had just said to-day that maybe this girl would even things up.