And what was that nonsense I heard her telling you about brigands?’

‘It really hap—’ began Katy. Then she caught papa’s eye, and bit her lip, for he looked very quizzical. ‘Well,’ she went on, laughing, ‘I suppose it didn’t really all happen; but it was ever so funny, Papa, even if it was a make-up. And Imogen’s just as good-natured as can be. All the girls like her.’

‘Make-ups are all very well,’ said papa, ‘as long as people don’t try to make you believe they are true. When they do that, it seems to me it comes too near the edge of falsehood to be very safe or pleasant. If I were you, Katy, I’d be a little shy of swearing eternal friendship for Miss Clark. She may be good-natured, as you say, but I think two or three years hence she won’t seem so nice to you as she does now. Give me a kiss, Chick, and run away, for there’s Alexander with the dog-cart.’

7

Cousin Helen’s Visit

A little knot of the schoolgirls were walking home together one afternoon in July. As they neared Dr Carr’s gate, Maria Fiske exclaimed, at the sight of a pretty bunch of flowers lying in the middle of the sidewalk:

‘Oh my!’ she cried, ‘see what somebody’s dropped! I’m going to have it.’ She stooped to pick it up. But, just as her fingers touched the stems, the nosegay, as if bewitched, began to move. Maria made a bewildered clutch. The nosegay moved faster, and at last vanished under the gate, while a giggle sounded from the other side of the hedge.

‘Did you see that?’ shrieked Maria; ‘those flowers ran away of themselves.’

‘Nonsense,’ said Katy, ‘it’s those absurd children.’ Then, opening the gate, she called: ‘John! Dorry! come out and show yourselves.’ But nobody replied, and no one could be seen. The nosegay lay on the path, however, and picking it up, Katy exhibited to the girls a long end of black thread, tied to the stems.

‘That’s a very favourite trick of Johnnie’s,’ she said; ‘she and Dorry are always tying up flowers, and putting them out on the walk to tease people. Here, Maria, take them if you like. Though I don’t think John’s taste in bouquets is very good.’

‘Isn’t it splendid to have vacation come?’ said one of the bigger girls. ‘What are you all going to do? We’re going to the sea-side.’

‘Papa says he’ll take Susie and me to Niagara,’ said Maria.

‘I’m going to pay my aunt a visit,’ said Alice Blair. ‘She lives in a really lovely place in the country, and there’s a pond there; and Tom (that’s my cousin) says he’ll teach me to row. What are you going to do, Katy?’

‘Oh, I don’t know; play about and have splendid times,’ replied Katy, throwing her bag of books into the air and catching it again. But the other girls looked as if they didn’t think this good fun at all, and as if they were sorry for her; and Katy felt suddenly that her vacation wasn’t going to be so pleasant as that of the rest.

‘I wish papa would take us somewhere,’ she said to Clover, as they walked up the gravel path. ‘All the other girls’ papas do.’

‘He’s too busy,’ replied Clover. ‘Besides, I don’t think any of the rest of the girls have half such good times as we. Ellen Robbins says she’d give a million of dollars for such nice brothers and sisters as ours to play with. And, you know, Maria and Susie have awful times at home, though they do go to places. Mrs Fiske is so particular. She always says “Don’t”, and they haven’t got any yard to their house, or anything. I wouldn’t change.’

‘Nor I,’ said Katy, cheering up at these words of wisdom. ‘Oh, isn’t it lovely to think there won’t be any school to-morrow? Vacations are just splendid!’ and she gave her bag another toss. It fell to the ground with a crash.

‘There, you’ve cracked your slate,’ said Clover.

‘No matter, I shan’t want it again for eight weeks,’ replied Katy, comfortably, as they ran up the steps.

They burst open the front door and raced upstairs crying ‘Hurrah! hurrah! vacation’s begun. Aunt Izzie, vacation’s begun!’ Then they stopped short, for lo! the upper hall was all in confusion.