It was the opening day of the tea-house, and Marjorie early and ran to the window to see whether the sun was rising. All night she had been dreaming of dark, rainy weather and a gloomy, unsuccessful beginning; perhaps this sense of anxiety was the cause of her early . She almost laughed out loud when she saw the glowing light over the tree-tops in the east.  
“Ethel!” she cried to her companion. “Do wake up! We’re going to have a perfect day to start!”
 
The other girl opened her eyes sleepily and looked across at Marjorie.
 
“Oh, dear! We do have to begin work today, don’t we?” she remarked, making no attempt to suppress a yawn.
 
“I should say we do! Aren’t you thrilled? Oh, Ethel, do you suppose any people will come in?”
 
“Of course,” replied the other, in a matter-of-fact tone. “Don’t forget Marie Louise’s sign.”
 
“Yes, they can’t help seeing that. And don’t you really think that if they come once they’ll be back again?”
 
“Yes, Marjorie—for the fiftieth time—yes!”
 
Marjorie laughed good-naturedly at Ethel’s teasing, and both girls started to dress. They entered the dining-room long before breakfast was ready; in fact, Mrs. Munsen and Florence, who was her that day, were only taking in the milk bottles.
 
“Go out and get some flowers for the table, girls,” suggested the , evidently not too anxious to have so many in the kitchen at once. “There are some lovely roses over near the fence.”
 
Marjorie was only too delighted to go upon so pleasant an errand, and skipped out of the door, with Ethel following her in a more manner.
 
“And just what is our menu going to be today?” asked the older girl, as she began to cut some roses.
 
“Sandwiches, iced and hot tea, ice-cream, and cake,” replied Marjorie. “But I hope we can branch out to more elaborate things later on.”
 
“Still, that will probably keep us busy. And what is the schedule for work?”
 
“Alice, Daisy and I are to help Anna prepare things this morning; Marie Louise, Florence and you serve this afternoon; and Lily and I go on at supper until closing time.”
 
“And then somebody will have to buy the stuff for tomorrow,” added Ethel, a little wearied by the thought of so much housekeeping.
 
“Yes, I hope we sell so much that we have to buy more supplies,” laughed Marjorie. “But that’s easy to do over the telephone.”
 
The girls lingered so long out in the garden that when they returned breakfast was almost ready. Most of their companions were strolling about the porch, but Lily and Marie Louise had not yet put in an appearance.
 
“It’s a bad idea to let those two sleepy-heads room together,” remarked Marjorie, as the breakfast bell rang. “I suppose I’ll have to go them out!”
 
“No, you won’t, either!” cried a voice from the stairs, and, looking up, the girls saw the late-comers , buttoning their dresses as they approached.
 
The talk at the breakfast table was of little else than the tea-house; even the boys, and the good times they had been having were forgotten. Everyone felt optimistic; with such a day, such a menu, such workers, the opening could not be anything but a success. It was Lily who first introduced a note into the conversation.
 
“Marj, you said you and I were on as waitresses after six o’clock. Shall we be alone?”
 
“Oh, no,” replied Marjorie. “Anna will stay until we go, if we want her to.”
 
“But she isn’t going to sleep there?” asked the other, with concern.
 
“No—though really it wouldn’t be a bad place to sleep, you know. Only that we have no beds, except the two army cots.”
 
“I don’t want anybody to take a chance after that story Agnes told us,” said Lily. “So don’t you think you ought to warn Anna?”
 
Several of the others laughed aloud at her fears, but Daisy and Mrs. Munsen took the matter more seriously.
 
“It isn’t well to fool with such things,” said the older woman. “Not that I actually believe in ghosts, but there may be some power—perhaps human power—that works for evil in that house. But I don’t think I would scare Anna by telling her.”
 
“Mercy no!” cried Marjorie. “She’d leave us, and then where would we be? No, girls, let’s make up our minds to forget it—it’s all silly, anyhow. Imagine how the boys would laugh at such nonsense!”
 
“All right!” agreed Lily, obediently, “I’ll promise to face the music in silence—even if I am to be the first to serve night duty this evening.”
 
“Till half-past seven in the evening isn’t ‘night duty’!” protested Marjorie. “And by the way, John said he would drive down and get us, so you needn’t be afraid.”
 
“Oh!” remarked Lily, with a significant look at her chum. “Is this ‘John Business’ going to be an every-day matter?”
 
“Now, listen, Lil; you’re a poor one to tease,” retorted Marjorie; “when you were the first girl in this house to have a caller!”
 
“The first, but not the last!” laughed Lily, .
 
“Well, I thought it would be nice to have John’s help tonight, for I hope our day is going to be so that we’ll all be very tired. It will save you the trouble of taking your car back to the garage after you come home. And by the way, girls, will you all down any suggestions that you think of during the day in that notebook in the desk at the tea-house? And whoever is there last each night, must take a careful of the supplies left on hand!”
 
“Marj,” said Alice, admiringly, as she started to clear the table, “you certainly are some executive! I wouldn’t be surprised to see you president of the United States some day.”
 
“Thanks, Alice—but I don’t to the job. I prefer something easier.”
 
“The president’s wife?” suggested Lily, in the same tone.
 
“I see,” said Marjorie, solemnly, “that we shall have to institute some system of kitchen police as punishment for too much . I had thought it would not be necessary with girls of our age and responsibility, but I guess I will have to install it in self-defense.”
 
“It seems to me,” remarked Lily, archly, “that some people do a lot of bossing!”
 
“I guess I was made a last summer!” returned Marjorie, .
 
“I guess I’m a lieutenant, too!” laughed Lily. “Don’t forget our little troop at college!”
 
“Girls!” interrupted Florence, “if you don’t stop fooling and get out of our way, we’ll make you both serve as kitchen police!”
 
This speech had the desired effect, and both girls rose hastily and pushed back their chairs. A few minutes later, Marjorie started for the tea-house.
 
The girls found Anna already at work in the kitchen, and, tying on their big gingham that hung there in a row, they right into their duties. The task proved to be so pleasant, amid such congenial companionship, that the morning was gone almost before they realized it. Marjorie went into the front room, and then out to the porch, surveying the effect with satisfaction.
 
“It does look lovely!” she commented, out loud. “Those pansies add just the right touch—Oh, if we only have some people!”
 
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