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Show hhh299hH1 . SrWj iWxl 7U NPdvpiWliH V '(ssEyilsssssHllllM 7 h CbWri9W'.192i-bvKeBcUStjndicQt?.Inc. I "Why not?" Florence Inquired. "Go on nnd tell inc." "No," said Patty, gently. "You might think It was silly." "No, I won't" "Yes, you might." "I promise I won't." "Well, then oh, Florence, Pm sure you'll think It's silly I" "I promised I wouldn't." "Well I don't think I better say It." "Go on," Florence urged. "Patty, you got to." "Well, then, If I got to," said Patty. "What I was going to say, Florence : Don't yon think your cousin Herbert and Henry Rooter have got the nicest eyes of any boy In town?" "Who?" Florence was staggered. "I do," Patty said In her charming voice. "I think Herbert and Hcnry've got the nicest eyes of any boy In town.' "You do?" Florence cried Incredulously. Incred-ulously. "Yes, I really do, Florence. I think Herbert Atwater and Henry Rooter have got just the nicest eyes of any boy In town." "Well, t never heard anything llko Ihls before!" Florence declared. "Rut don't you think they're got the nicest eyes of utiy boy In town?" Patty Pat-ty Insisted, appcallngty, "I think," said Florence, TMr eyes are Just horrablel" "What?" "Herbert's eyes," continued Florence Flor-ence ardently, "are the very worst lookln' ola squlnty eye I ever saw, Hod that nasty little Heary Rooter's eyes" Rut Putty suddenly became fidgety; she hurried away from the fence. "Come over here, Floreuce," she suld.. "Let's go over to the other side of the yard and talk." And It was time for her to take some such action if she wished to show uuy tact. Messrs. Atwater and Rooter, seuted quietly together upou u box on the other sldo of the fence (though with their backs to the knothole) knot-hole) were beginning to show signs of Inward disturbance. Already duxlied with unexpected InctTabllitles, their complexions had grown even plukur upon 'Florence's opun-hourted expressions expres-sions of opinion. Slowly they turned their heads to look sternly at tire fence, upon the other side of which stood the nmllgner of their eyes. Not tlmt they cured what Unit olo girl thought hut sho oughtn't to bo allowed al-lowed to go around tulklng like .this nnd pcrhups prejudicing everybody that had n word to suy for them. "Coiuu on over here, Florence," called Putty huskily, from the other sldo of the yard. "IaiI'h tulk over here." Florence wus puzzled, but consented. consent-ed. "What you want to talk over hero for?" she usked. . "Oh, I duii't know." suld Putty. "Let's go out In tho front yurd." Bhe livl Hit' way around the house, und a moment later uttered u cry of surprise as the llrm of Atwuter & Rooter, passing along tho pavement, hesitated at thu gute. ITielr celebrated celebrat-ed eyes showed somo doubt for a moment, mo-ment, then n brazeunesa; Herbert and Henry decided to come In. "Isn't this the funniest thing?" cried Patty. "After what I Just a whllo ago you know, Florence. Don't you dare to tell 'em." "I cert'nly won't I" her hostess promised, und, turning Inhospitably to thu two cullers, "What on eurth you want 'round here?" sho Inquired. Herbert chivalrously took the duty of response upon himself. "Look here; this Is my own aunt and uncle's yard, Isn't It? If I wunt to come In It, I got u perfect right to." "I should suy so," his partner said warmly. "Why, of coursnl" the cordial I'atty agreed. "Wo can play some nice Sunday Sun-day gutnes, or something. Let's sit on the porch steps nnd think whut to do." "I Just as soon," Mild Henry Hooter. "I pot nothln' p'tlcular to do." "I haven't, either," said Herbert. Thereupon, Putty snt between them on the steps. "Tills li pcr-llckly grand I" she cried, "Conic on, Florence, Flor-ence, aren't you going to sit down with all the rest of us?" "Well, pray kindly excuse me I" said Miss Atwuter; nnd she udded that she would neither sit on tho same steps with Hnrhert Atwater nnd Henry Rooter, nor, even If they entreated en-treated her with accompanying genu, flections, would sho linvvj nnythlng else whatever to do with them. She withdrew with-drew to the railing of the porch nt a point farthest from the steps, and, seated there, swung one foot rhythmically rhythmic-ally nnd sang hymns In a tone nt once plaintive and Inimical. It was not lost upon her, however, that her withdrnwnl had little de- BU7 r" LLLLLhicLb sei&Li It Was Not Lost Upon Hr, Howsvsr, That Her Withdrawal Had LlttU Depressing Effect Upon Her Quests. pressing effect upon her guests. They chnttcrcd gully nnd Patty devised, or remembered, harmless little games which could bo played by a few people peo-ple ns well us by many; and tho three participants were so congenial and noisy and' made so merry that, beforo long, Florence was unable to avoid tho Impression that, whether sho liked It or not, she was giving quite a party. At times the noted p.vph of Atwuter & Rooter were gentled o'er with the soft cnut of enchantment, especlully when Patty felt called upon to reprove the two with little coquetries of slaps and pushes. Noted for her sprlghtll-ness, sprlghtll-ness, she wus never sprlghtlfcr; her pretty laughter tfioted continuously and the gentlemen accompanied with doting sounds so repulsive to Florenco thnt without behig actively conscious of what she did, she embodied the phmse. "perfectly sickening" In the hymn she was crooning, nnd repented It over nnd over to the air of "Rock of Ages." "Now I tell you what let's play," Hip versatile PaMy proposed, after exhausting ex-hausting the pleasures of "Geog raphy," "Ghosts," and other tests ot Intellect. "Let's pluy Truth.' We'll each take u paper and u pencil, and then euch of us usks the other one somo question, and we huf to write down the answer und sign your name und fold It up no nobody can sec It except ex-cept that one, and we haf to keep It a secret und never tell us long as we live." "All right," said Henry Rooter. "I'll be tliOsono to ask you u question, Patty." "No," Herbert said promptly. "I ought to be tho one to ask Patty." "Why ought you?" Henry demanded. "Why ought you?" "LUtenl" Patty cried, "I know the way we'll do. I'll ask each of you a niicritlou wo linf to whisper It a: each one of you'll auk inu one, nnd then we'll write It. That'll he simply Krnndl" sho clapped her hands; then checked horxelf. "Oh, I kucss we cun't, either. Wo haven't got any pa. per and pencils iiiiIcm " riero nho Ktemcd tp recall her hostess. "Oh, riorrle, dear! Hun ln tho house and set us some pnper nnd pcnelts." (Continued uoxt week |