"Oh, what was I saying? What were we talking about?" asked Fenie, with charming but entirely transparent hypocrisy. "Oh, I was merely going to say that if Trixy hadn't made that dreadful speech to him the other night, I wouldn't have missed one delightful party--perhaps two, to which he and his oldest sister would have taken me." "Oh, I see. 'Tis only the parties that trouble you." "Tryphosa," exclaimed Fenie indignantly, as she arose from her chair, "I think you're real unkind--real tormenting. First you make fun of me for talking a lot about him, and then you make me talk about him a great deal more. I wasn't going to say a word about him this afternoon, but you've kept me at it in spite of myself. Perhaps you don't want me to like him. Well, I shan't oblige you. I do like him. I'm not a bit in love with him, but I do like him ever so much, and I'm not a bit ashamed to say so. There!" "Bravo!" exclaimed Trif, springing from her chair and throwing her arms about her sister. "I'm glad that at last you know your own mind. Now stop acting like a child, and be the woman you have the right to be. I'm proud of you, my darling sister--proud of your honesty and spirit. But--why, my dear girl, what is the matter?" "Harry's been driven away from here," sobbed Fenie, "and I'm dreadful unhappy about it, and I want him to come back." "Hurrah," sounded a high childish treble. The sisters looked in the direction of the sound, and there stood Trixy, with glowing cheeks and dancing eyes as she continued: "I want him to come back, too, for he promised to bring me a doll." "Trixy," exclaimed Fenie severely. Trixy understood at once and looked guilty, but she explained: "One of the cottons dropped out, and I didn't know a thing about it till you boo-hoo'd." CHAPTER III. UNAPPRECIATED. "Phil," said Trif from her pillow one morning very early, "are you awake?" Phil half wished he wasn't, for he was just sinking into the morning's final doze, but loyalty compelled him to admit that he was not asleep. "I'm so glad," responded Trif, "for I've thought out a plan for making matters right once more between Fenie and Harry." "So have I, my dear, so between us we'll be sure to succeed. Now let's drop asleep again; if we talk much we'll get Trixy awake far too long before breakfast, which won't be good for her." "There's no danger. The dear little thing sleeps soundly nowadays. What is your plan?" "'Tis simply to invite him and his sister Kate to dinner." "How stupid! You don't suppose he'll come after what he heard the last time he was here?" "Won't come? Why not?" "Because he was rudely driven away." "Nonsense! Did you ever drive flies from sugar or sweetmeats? Didn't they return as soon as they saw a ghost of a chance?" "I don't think the comparison is complimentary, either to my sister or to Harry."