Publisher's Synopsis
All day Sunday they had raised the devil from attic to cellar; Mrs. Farren was in tears, Howkerdesperate. Not one out of the fifteen servants considered necessary to embellish the Seagraveestablishment could do anything with them after Kathleen Severn's sudden departure the weekbefore.When the telegram announcing her mother's sudden illness summoned young Mrs. Severn to StatenIsland, every servant in the household understood that serious trouble was impending for them.Day by day the children became more unruly; Sunday they were demons; and Mrs. Farren shudderedto think what Monday might bring forth.The day began ominously at breakfast with general target practice, ammunition consisting ofprojectiles pinched from the interior of hot muffins. Later, when Mrs. Farren ventured into theschoolroom, she found Scott Seagrave drawing injurious pictures of Howker on the black-board, and Geraldine sorting lumps of sugar from the bowl on the breakfast-tray, which had not yet beenremoved."Dearies," she began, "it is after nine o'clock and--""No school to-day, Mrs. Farren," interrupted Scott cheerfully; "we haven't anything to do tillKathleen comes back, and you know it perfectly well!""Yes, you have, dearie; Mrs. Severn has just sent you this list of lessons." She held out a black-edgedenvelope.Geraldine, who had been leisurely occupied in dropping cologne on a lump of sugar, thrust the lumpinto her pink mouth and turned sharply on Mrs. Farren."What list?" she demanded. "Give that letter to me.... Oh, Scott! Did you ever hear of anything halfso mean? Kathleen's written out about a thousand questions in geography for us!""I can't stand that sort of interference!" shouted Scott, dropping his chalk and aiming a kick at thebig papier-maché globe. "I'm sorry Kathleen's mother is probably going to die, but I've had enoughgeography, too.""Mrs. Severn's mother died on Friday," said the housekeeper solemnly.The children paused, serious for a moment in the presence of the incomprehensible.
