Phoebe Deane (Romance Classic). Grace Livingston Hill

her small selfish self.

      " Haven't I told you to keep still, Alma," reproved her mother, angrily. " If you say another word I'll send you to bed without any cake."

      At this dire threat Alma retired temporarily from the conversation till the cake should be passed, and a kind of family gloom settled over the room. Hank felt the constraint and made haste to bolt the last of his supper and escape.

      Phoebe came down shortly afterward, attired in her everyday garb, and looking meekly sensible. Albert felt somehow a relief to see her so, though he protested weakly.

      " Say, Phoebe, it's too bad for you to wash dishes your birthday night. You go back and put on your pretty things, and Alma will help her ma wash up this time."

      " No, she won't, either," broke in Emmeline. " Alma ain't a bit well, and she's not goin' to be made to work at her age unless she likes. Here, honey, you may have this piece of ma's cake, she don't want it all. It seems to me you're kind of an unnatural father, Albert Deane. I guess it won't hurt Phoebe to wash a few dishes when she's been lyin' around havin' a good time all day, while I've worked my fingers half off doin' her work. We've all had to work on our birthdays, and I guess if Phoebe’s goin' to stay here she'll have to put up with what the rest of us gets, unless she's got money to pay for better."

      With that Albert looked helplessly about the room and retired to his newspaper in the sitting-room, while Phoebe went swiftly about the usual evening work. Emmeline yanked the boys away from the cake plate, and marched them and Alma out of the kitchen with her head held high and her chin in the air. She did not even do the usual little duties of putting away the cake and bread and pickles and jelly, but left it all for Phoebe. Of this Phoebe was glad.

      Before the dishes were quite done, the front door opened and Hiram Green sauntered into the sitting-room. Phoebe heard him, and hurried to hang up her dish towels and flee to her own room.

      And thus ended the birthday, though the girl lay awake far into the night thinking over all its wonderful happenings, and not allowing her mind to dwell upon the possibilities of trouble in the future.