"Come, now, Bridget--dear Bridget, don't be mad with me," she said coaxingly. Bridget had come to Mrs. Lamont's when Nannie was little more than eight years of age, and through the succeeding years of childhood and girlhood had been her stanch friend and her confidante in many a time of trouble. "What shall I do with my cow? You surely will help me out!" The fire faded from Bridget's flaming countenance, and she paused, irresolute as to her course. "You won't desert me, Bridget, I know!" pleaded Nannie softly. "Sure it's not Bridget O'Flannigan will desart an orphin child; but I make it distinct, an' ye hear me now, that I'm a respictable woman, not given to takin' a dhrop too much or too little, an' I won't stan' an' be insulted, an' me twilve years over from ould Oireland come Saint Patrick's Day. An' even if I am doin' disrespictful work now, milkin' an ould cow in which the divil has taken up his risidince, I want yez still ter handle me character wid care." No doubt Sarah Maria was awed by this address, or else the very uncomplimentary manner in which she herself was alluded to startled her into a realization of the steep down which she was rushing and toward what pit her path inclined. Be that as it may, she contentedly munched the second pail of food which Nannie brought her, and granted the trembling Bridget peace and quiet in which to extract the cream and invoke the saints. XII Soon after the milking ordeal was at an end Nannie started over to the house of her cousins, the Misfits. It chanced that she happened upon this ill-mated couple in the nick of time. "Glad to see you, Nan," exclaimed Mr. Misfit. "I have a day off, and Mrs. Misfit wants to take the boat trip. You must go with us." "Yes, we've never been, and I told Henry we really ought to go! I am tired of being asked if I don't think it's pleasant, and having to say I don't know anything about it." "You'll have to fly around and get ready, then, for we must take the next train in if we want to catch that boat. You'll go," he added as his wife slipped away to dress, "won't you, Nannie?" Nannie stood regarding him with one of her elfin looks. "You need me, don't you?" she said. He laughed rather awkwardly. He always felt uncomfortable when Nannie looked at him that way. "Why, yes, of course. We shall be glad of your company." "I know why you wanted me to-day," said Nannie later on, when she was sitting out on the deck of the boat with him while Mrs. Misfit was taking a nap in the saloon. He turned and looked at her, and saw it would be of no use to try to evade. "There's something uncanny about this girl," he said to himself. "You wanted me--you and Lillie both wanted me to stand between you. You couldn't endure each other's company for a day. It would bore you to death." "You are right," he said simply. "It would bore me. I don't know about Lillie."