"Let's all watch out the window for Lizzie," suggested Mabel. "Stand on these two chairs."
Watching for Lizzie proved more of an occupation than Mabel had counted on. They watched and watched with all their eyes but no Lizzie appeared. Ten minutes, twenty minutes, thirty minutes. No Lizzie.
"Does Lizzie _always_ come?" queried Mabel, now decidedly uneasy.
"Haven't any. Him all gone on choo choo cars. Far away."
"No. Lizzie makes our supper. Lizzie puts Tommy to bed and Susy to bed and Sairy to bed and Jackie to bed."
"Well," remarked Mabel, crossly, "I wish she'd come right now and _do_ it. I ought to be a mile from here this very minute. I shouldn't have come in. And now I don't know _what_ to do. It isn't right for you to be left by yourselves and it isn't right for me to stay. Now what does _anybody_ do in a case like that? I must be back by six o'clock; but I'd be wicked if I went away--and it's awfully wrong of me not to go."
"_Don't_ go," wheedled Tommy. "You is nicer than Lizzie."
Mabel peered anxiously down the road. The days were short and already it was growing darker. For another half hour Mabel, pressing closer and closer to the window, watched the road. By that time it was really dark. There was a lamp with oil in it on the kitchen table; Mabel discovered matches on the shelf and managed to light it.
"What do you have for supper?" asked Mabel. "I suppose I'll have to feed you."
"Oatmeal," said Tommy. "It's in the kettle on the stove. And milk--in the cupboard. And bread."
"Hum," said Mabel, investigating the cupboard, "there's just about enough bread for two meals so I guess I'd better not eat very much if I have to stay to supper; but I hope I don't."
But she did. Lizzie still remained mysteriously absent; and before long the children began to beg for food. Mabel arranged their simple supper under Tommy's directions and the friendly infants appeared pleased with their new nurse.
It was lonely in the solitary little house; but Mabel didn't mind that as long as the children were awake. But very soon after supper they began to nod. Tommy, very sweet and drowsy himself, showed Mabel where the other little people were to sleep. The baby was fretful; he had eaten very little supper and now his heavy head felt hot against Mabel's cheek as she rocked him to quiet his complaining little cry. Presently he was asleep, so she tucked him very tenderly into the old clothes-basket that Tommy assured her was the baby's bed. Then the chubby, yawning twins were tucked into their crib, for which they were a tight fit; and in two minutes, _they_ were asleep. After that, Tommy removed all his clothes except his shirt and climbed into the double bed.