The Story of the Big Front Door   By: Mary Finley Leonard (1862-)

Transcriber's Note: Inconsistent hyphenation in the original document has been preserved.

[Illustration: "THEY HAD DRAWN THEIR CHAIRS TOGETHER IN A COSEY GROUP."]

THE STORY OF THE BIG FRONT DOOR

BY MARY F. LEONARD

"THEY HELPED EVERY ONE HIS NEIGHBOR."

NEW YORK: 46 EAST FOURTEENTH STREET THOMAS Y. CROWELL & COMPANY BOSTON: 100 PURCHASE STREET

COPYRIGHT, 1898, BY THOMAS Y. CROWELL & COMPANY.

CONTENTS.

CHAPTER PAGE

I. THE OUTLAWS 1

II. IN THE STAR CHAMBER 12

III. THE LADY OF THE BROWN HOUSE 20

IV. DORA 31

V. UNCLE WILLIAM 51

VI. THE MAGIC DOOR 59

VII. IKEY'S ACCIDENT 65

VIII. THE M.KS. 74

IX. A RIVAL CLUB 84

X. GOOD NEIGHBORS 93

XI. PLANS 103

XII. CEDAR AND HOLLY 112

XIII. THE HARP MAN'S BENEFIT 127

XIV. CLOUDS 140

XV. DORA'S BRIGHT IDEA 156

XVI. SILVER KEYS 165

XVII. A PRISONER 172

XVIII. SOMETHING ELSE HAPPENS 183

XIX. AUNT SUKEY'S STORY 190

XX. THE ORDER OF THE BIG FRONT DOOR 198

XXI. WORK AND PLAY 206

XXII. UNCLE WILLIAM IS SURPRISED 219

XXIII. JIM 230

XXIV. A DISAPPOINTMENT 238

XXV. AUNT ZÉLIE 246

XXVI. THE BIG FRONT DOOR IS LEFT ALONE 255

THE STORY

OF

THE BIG FRONT DOOR.

CHAPTER I.

THE OUTLAWS.

"Come listen to me, ye gallants so free, All ye who love mirth for to hear; And I will tell you of a bold outlaw Who lived in Nottinghamshire."

Old Ballad.

Ikey Ford was the first to make the discovery, and he lost no time in carrying the news to the others.

Great was their consternation!

"Moving into the Brown house? Nonsense, Ikey, you are making it up!" Carl exclaimed.

"What shall we do about the banquet for King Richard?" cried Bess, sitting down on the doorstep despairingly.

"And my racket is over there, and your grandma's fur rug, Ikey Ford!" wailed Louise, shaking her finger at the bringer of evil tidings. He assented meekly, adding, "and Sallie's clothes pins."