While Caroline Was Growing

little pine-encircled glade that edged the p

an creatures there!"

ibbon about her hips, trailing gloriously behind her over the grass; two large wings artfully constructed of wrapping-paper flopped behind

ordinary blue denim overalls of commerce, would have been positively commonplace were it not for the wings of bright pink tissue paper, which he wore with a somewhat confusing obstinacy, pinned firmly to his chest. Miss Honey assisted his wavering footsteps rather sulkily; she longed for the white and lacy draperies in

that arrow, Brother Washburn, I'll

oke conflicting memories of Diana, chuckled guiltily and took a flying leap from the big boulder into the center of the glade. His wings stiffened realistically, and as he lan

right! He's the real

ringly and chuckled as the rest of the crew eme

ly children

ightened her fingers aroun

only children," she

e that the words meant very different things. For this reason they sidled around the young lady impersonally, avo

ives, two forks, two fringed and glossy napkins. A dark red bottle was propped upright between two stones, a pile of thin, triangular sandwiches bal

one continuing an interrupted conversation, "is figuring out how

t the young lady's fluted skirts and glistening yellow waves of hair, at

d find out. Perhaps the young person in the-the not-too-long skirts, waved her wand over the bird and he jumped in and th

ings at our wedding," Brother remarked, "on the out

n assured him politely. "Have you been marrie

Miss Honey explained, "it was his oldest sis

fat and unexpected hand and snatching from a hitherto

istache!" said the yellow

shoes on account of youth and a waddling and undeveloped gait, scattered over the ground wit

ou know-he doesn't mean

fast." She smiled doubtfully at the lady, who selected a

to use the car at six," she said, "an

t to speak to the children, Tina, dear?" he aske

, and children feel that so-not being noticed.

firmly secured by the band of his overalls. An oozy green paste dripped from h

don't bother about the cake, li

oney s

abies if you think they can eat cake

o hold your breath? Do you want a

lly, with a business-like smile at the

handful of grass, but his expression was most undecided, and he was

oline. "You've got 'em,

r of the nightgown and produced

There was another moment of dishearten

he, too, nodded and chewed the empty air. Instin

e strained interest of the circle, smiled forgivingly,

oung lady remarked, wiping her shining pink finger nails

blushed a litt

hanks, I'll pass up the cake. Isn't

mined

delightedly. "Will the fairy queen hand one to he

rown and the wand, or she wouldn't be anything. Brother isn't her brother-that's just his name. Broth

d the young gentleman filled his cup a

outh beside him, "and I know just how it is. You never get enough cake

ved nearer

ontentedly at the tea basket, complete with its polished fittings, at the big box of bonbons b

things." He flashed a daring glance from two masterful brown eye

o get them?"

ht little laugh of

who can buy all the cake he wants

clouded

e that, Christine," he began

ally. He made no pretense of including the lady in

you could stump me on anything you'd be likely to be-I've probably been 'em a

ook her hea

biggest one's dragging through the dirt there, I'd have been doing something ve

at age-" h

m imitation at that age,

those things-you go in

exactly my

thing. We had a regular property room in the attic. We used to

the young man, and Caroline, observing the motion, came over a little shyly and stood behind them. Th

he replied. "I had an old Mexican sword and Ridg

" Brother's

hem. An uncle of his was a sheriff out in Pennsylvania somewhere, and when he died he

r of brown, wet bark appeared on the nightgown, and one end of the blue ribb

t Caroline, "because I was older than he was, handcuffs or not, and after all, a sword is s

ed dram

other declared, clapping

there a

the log and sprawled

rothea and the Babe-about as big as your General, there, and dreadfully greedy, the Babe was.

line," Brother

be Fairy Queen, too, I remember. But Thea sewed the clothes

t did Et

cheon," he said. "She used to be Pocahontas a good deal-she's very dark-and I usually was Captain John Smith. Ridge

lly, pulling her brother back from the fascinations of th

," Caroline reminded her, "and then, when they got bigger, the Cor

man laug

dge to be Mazeppa on one of the carriage horses, when he got the right

odestly, "but of course it was

"Nothing but Ridge's goat, and she was pret

his elbow and smiled w

what did you p

ered, half mockingly, half seriously vexed. "I'm afraid I'm out o

re a youngster?" he persisted, "

ook he

r a moment of thought, "and then I went to school,

e looke

ave any dog?"

umped up on a lovely checked silk aunty had just given me, and ruined it. I tried to take it out with gasolene, but it made a

ct lack of sympathy for the tragedy that even at this distance deepene

g man said, "surely it was di

th her. Dear me," as something in his face struck her, "you needn't look so horrified! It's not bad in New York a bit-there's something going on all the while; and then we went to Rockaway and Coney Island eveni

up there. And I've always had the idea the country would be the best place to settle down in, finally. You can po

he broke in. "Since we're neither of us children and neither of us rea

d her even white teeth, as she smiled persuasivel

oloring, her dainty completeness, framed in the green of the little glade, were all he saw. Then, as hi

ly," he said boyishly. "I've had such bully times in it. A

mured, "after the arguments we

rls are all alike. But

he Pirates?" Brothe

partments in it; a milk room and vegetable bins and a workshop. You could ride on a wheel all round, dodging the pillars. There were all kinds of places to l

d out the way we used to. And there was a pond back in the Christmas Tree Lot like this one. Ridge and I built a raft out there and stay

d softly t

m, but it was a dreadful waste of money. When we found it wasn't working, Ridge nearly killed himself diving for 'em, so we could get some

g till her head lay almost on the young m

ran away from college to go. He had the fever badly, too, and he'll ne

burst out eagerly

now, for coming back to the old place and ending up th

e is

e hangs about where he's likely to strike the country next. She was in Honol

a?" Miss Hon

eneral, with an astoundin

over one eye, and the General, promptly sitting upon it to protect himself from f

East for a year or two. She wants them to see the place and grow up a little in it. She wants 'em to see the attic and poke about the barn and the stable and climb over the rocks. You see they're on t

the place?

t of Great Barrington. Father's practice was ther

Berkshires, isn't it?" the

ng like Lenox!" he

ved slightly

That comes of sit

ittle tentative gasps and cr

he thinks nothing of a hundred and fifty for a dress"-a faint stamp and a squeal of anguish-"told her that property was going up li

nly. "Sell the place!" he

smoke her dainty ankles, white through the mesh of the thin silk stockings, her straight, slim back, and

d Miss Honey in horror, and Carolin

n, but not wholly as

re your friends, and I was the stranger, from the way you all talk. Wh

er thoughtfull

that we look at things differently. And-and looking at th

r. But she had moved to a rock a little away from them and now sat on it, her face tu

e Babe?" Caroline

rgaret-at school now. She'

at the place, too?" quer

have oceans of money and build on a wing and a conservatory and

ll the morning there and then read in the afternoon. He'd sit on the side porch with his pipe and Bismarck-he was an old collie-and he did tell the bulliest yarns. He helped us with lessons, too. I don't know

idn't-all colors. That garden ran right up against the house, and directly next to the bricks was a row of white geraniums. They looked awfully well against the red. It's a brick house and the date is in bricks over the door-1840. Of cours

year to year. We always hoped to get it back. And

one?" Brother inq

n away fishing-Uncle Wesley died in England, last year, and left me considerably more than he'd ever have made if he'd minded grandmother and studied to be a

oard and the library table and grandfathe

and listening to Win and Thea practicing duets in the parlor. Lord, I can hear 'em now! I'd look out at the brick walls, hot, you know, in the s

ory; a little sudden breeze set the red bottle tinkling between the stones. But to the group entranced with memories so vivid that reality blurred before them, the peach and copper glories were ripe fruit against an old brick wall, t

er go to At

a gong wakes a sleeper. "Now t

d at her

dren," he protested. He had hardl

ged her s

id, "and then you needn't be worried over a place for them, and can

the look in his as he jumped up from th

matter with you to-day-why are you so different? Are you trying to tease me? Bec

them. Her eyes met his squarely

want to know what the matter with me is, let me ask you if you saw anything out of the way before your friend

nt on more quickly and wi

ask aunty! 'Tina has the best temper of any girl I know,' aunty always says. But its just as she warned me. Aunty always

lovely face; curiously, as though he

u're right. And of course I know-" he smiled oddly at

itated her; she unfurled

ame to the house with Mr. Walbridge for his sister's fitting and asked Kitty and I for a ride in the machine,

d me with you

at him in

l-and I can't afford to make any mistakes. And aunty said, 'I think the dark one's serious, Tina, but I don't know, somehow, I'd keep in with Walbridge. He may not have so much money, but he'll be easier to manage.

interested," he asked, "could

e when he lent you the machine. I suppose

a long

ou ans

ftly. "I-are you really angry with me,

hines and keep your head-you can't always tell about men. And I've cost aunty quite a lot, though of course, my clothes were the cheapest, really, all made in the house. I had two good offers to

rkably able aunt was right. You're a wise little girl, Tina, for if I know Walter, he will be

apping up the tea basket began t

in shaking a little, her eyes a

not angry, Rob?" S

l me out!" he said lightly. "Of course I'm not angry-we're as c

children scrambled off it apologetically; they were not quite certain wh

eady beyond them, "and have some more of t

iss Honey, eyeing the pink parasol lon

young man, shaking out her billowy skirts. Soon he

the General

y?" Miss Honey queried. "But th

hook her h

it up, but I don't believe he

oad, whirred down to a steady gr

y go!" Bro

f bark and tossed it

be glad to get back