mpressed by Boris's bright little face, and Kitty's story of his fidelity to the path of duty touched her quick and affectionate nature. Annie Forest, the grown-up girl

uneasiness on her account. Without any adventure from bull or bull-dog, without endangering her life in the bog, which turned out to be almost non-existent at this time of year, she reached the Towers at the most sultry time of the day, and appeared upon the scene between one and two o'clock, a tir

d so, she was attracted by voices which seemed to proceed from out of a clump of trees. She stepped close to the spot from where th

s was seated tailorwise on the ground a little way off. Nell had a white rat curled up in her hair and another nestling in her neck. Boris was feeding some white hares and some pet rab

emed provoking to have taken that long, exhausting walk for nothing,

tself. She said "Hullo!" pushed her way through the l

hevelled, hot, but oh, what a pretty strange lady was this! Nell worshipped beauty with the passion of a very hot and fe

. "Where do you come fr

'm a poor, exhausted girl, who thought she was perfo

ood up as he spoke, tumbling his rabbits and hares helter skelter in all directions, and tried to pu

et dress is spoiled!" sai

; "one must lose something t

eat yourself

, and Annie sat upon it

ou? Would it soothe you to stroke one of the rats?

n her lap and looked

the hares; but oh, I'm so hot and so thirsty! and oh, children,

swered Boris. Nell stared s

with Hetty and Nan, and we all started on a picnic, and when we came to Friar's Wood, I found that you, Boris-you see I know your

Boris. "Did you drive ba

give them double work, poor dears? No; I came back with these,

hat you knew nothing about. I didn't believe it was true. I never believed anything so perfectly splen

anding in his sturdy attitude in front of An

, and I don't think I ever felt mor

't want to wa

I consulted Kitty about it, and Kitty said you could ride your brother's bicycle, Boris. She only told me about Nell jus

" said Nell, "for I'm not going

, for dinner will be over. I always think the fun of a picnic is washing

n unnecessary cause. You bad children, you are not a bit unhappy at st

have seen us miser

e with those smiling, bright blue eyes? If I had seen you and Nell pale and wretched, and a l

deal for me. We are Lorrimers, Boris and I, and it isn't the fashion for a Lorrimer ever to fret when things can't be helped. Boris would have liked to go to the picnic, and I'd ha

will, only

had best fetch the food while

. She was absorbed as usual with the fascination of the moment, and forgot all a

ares, the rabbits, the rats, joined the company of diners, and Annie became her gayest and wildest self. When dinner was over, Boris reluctantly took

l the other members of the party who did not know where she had gone were becoming anxious about her. They would h

has wandered away in the wood by herself and will come back when she pleases, or perhaps she may have gone straight back to the

ing to be expected of Annie Forest is the unexpected.' Now don't let's talk of her any more. She is a dear old Annie; but why should she spo

at present. We will presently,

story, there's

andered away in different directions, and Nora and Kitty found themselves together. Nora felt rather discontented. She missed Annie Forest, not because she particularly liked her just now, but because Annie's conduct

out with it at once. You know you're bursting with a secret. If you don't tell soon yo

ssary to put on her society

e, when I call you," sh

answered Kitty. "I'm not obliged t

ence from a little chit like you? You know perfectly well

t tell.

w it when I saw you shutting up your lips so straightly, and putting on that littl

d nothing," said

? I know mother is uneasy about Annie, and I know Jane Macalister is uneasy, and you know where she is and

t catch me. Here," continued Kitty, suiting the action to the word, "yo

ou," said Nora. "You

nto which she had hastily swung herself. "You'll get your frock all torn, and Molly and Jan

d have hated climbing trees, but now all was forgotten in her fierce desire to lay hold of the daring, exasperating li

nto the tree and drag you down," said Nora. "Now you

ora was taunting her on the ground, but now she felt so secure that s

like Miss Nora, to climb up here," she said; "and

ch where Kitty had planted herself, and in another instant would have caught hold of the little girl's dress; but Kitty and Boris could both climb like monkeys, and it did not take the little girl an i

oing to creep on to the end of this bough; it will bear my weight, but it won't be

es. It looked what it was, thoroughly rotten; but it bore Kitty's light weight without strain. She reached almost the end, and turne

aught?" exclaimed Kitty. "Hur

king little cheat. This bough looks firm enough. It w

g far more plainly than Nora did. "Don't do it, Nora," she shrieked. "I'd rather come back to you. I would really, really. Y

ropelled herself slowly along. Her whole weight was now upon the bough. It was thoroughly rotten and very brittle. Kitty gave a shriek of terror, and, with a wild leap, managed to thro