"Will you take us home ahead of them all?" demanded the girl. "Then your sister can have the schoolmaster." "By cracky! is that it?" queried Lucas. "Why--if you say so. I'll do just like you want me to, Miss 'Phemie." "You are a good boy, Lucas--and I hope you won't be silly," said 'Phemie. "We like you, but we have been brought up to have boy friends who don't play at being grown up," added 'Phemie, as earnestly as she had ever spoken in her life. "We like to have _friends_, not _beaux_. Won't you be our friend, Lucas?" She said this so low that nobody else could hear it but young Pritchett; but so emphatically that the tears came to her eyes. Lucas gaped at her for a moment; then he seemed to understand. "I get yer, 'Phemie," he declared, with emphasis, "an' you kin bank on me. Sairy's foolish--maw's made her so, I s'pose. But I ain't as big a fool as I look." "You don't look like a fool, Lucas," said 'Phemie, faintly. "You've been brought up different from us folks," pursued the young farmer. "And I can see that we look mighty silly to you gals from the city. But I'll play fair. You let me be your friend, 'Phemie." The young girl had to wink hard to keep back the tears. There was "good stuff" in this young farmer, and she was sorry she had ever--even in secret--made fun of him. "Lucas, you are a good boy," she repeated, "and we both like you. You'll get us away from here and let Sairy have her chance at the schoolmaster?" "You bet!" he said. "Though I don't care about Sairy. She's old enough to know better," he added, with the usual brother's callousness regarding his sister. "She feels neglected and will naturally be mad at Lyddy," 'Phemie said. "But if we slip out during some recitation or song, it won't be noticed much." "All right," agreed Lucas. "I'll go out ahead and unhitch the ponies and get their blankets off. You gals can come along in about five minutes. Now! Mayme Lowry is going to read the 'Club Chronicles'--that's a sort of history of neighborhood doin's since the last meetin'. She hits on most ev'rybody, and they will all wanter hear. We'll git aout quiet like." So, when Miss Lowry arose to read her manuscript, Lucas left his seat and 'Phemie whispered to Lyddy: "Get your coat, dear. I want to go home. Lucas has gone out to get the team." "Why--what's the matter, child?" demanded the older sister, anxiously. "Nothing. Only I want to go." "We-ell--if you must----" "Don't say anything more, but come on," commanded 'Phemie. They arose together and tiptoed out. If Sairy saw them she made no sign, nor did anybody bar their escape. Lucas had got his team into the road. "Here ye be!" he said, cheerfully. "But--but how about Sairy?" cried the puzzled Lyddy. "Oh, she'll ride home with the school teacher," declared Lucas, chuckling. "But I really am surprised at you, 'Phemie," said the older sister. "It seems rather discourteous to leave before the entertainment was over--unless you are ill?"