ntly he had been offended.

He looked up from his book, frowned, then smiled and nodded pleasantly.

He had thought that Floretta had returned, and was pleasantly surprised
to see Dorothy, instead.

Softly she crossed the piazza until she stood beside him.

"May I give you a few of these bluebells for your buttonhole?" she said.
"They're only wild flowers, but they're pretty ones," she added, fearing
that, after all, he might not care for them.

"Why, thank you, my dear. I surely would like them, especially as they
are offered me by a real little lady."

He placed the cluster that she offered him in his lapel, as he spoke,
and looked to Dorothy for approval.

"They are wild flowers, truly," he said, "but I think they are quite as
attractive as the buds I have been wearing," and Dorothy was glad that
she had offered them.

CHAPTER II

A DELIGHTFUL SURPRISE

THREE weeks had passed, and as nearly every day had been fair, the
guests at the Cleverton had lived out of doors, appearing at the hotel
at meal-time, and at night.

Other wild flowers beside the bluebells were blossoming gaily, peeping
up from the grass as if offering a welcome to all who looked at them;
and even great rocks and ledges held tiny blossoming plants in their
crevices.

The pony, Romeo, had come to the mountains with the family, and seemed
to enjoy the outing.

Every morning Dorothy and Nancy went for a drive, and Romeo tossed his
mane, and pranced as if to show his delight.

One morning the pony was standing at the porch, waiting for his little
mistress, who soon came running down the stairs.

Floretta was standing in the hall, spinning a top.

A sign on the wall plainly stated that children must not play in the
hall, but that did not disturb Floretta.

Deftly she wound the string, and the great top fell to the floor, where
it hummed and spun as rapidly as if a boy's hand had flung it.

She picked it up, and again wound it, this time throwing it with even
greater force.

"Look! Look!" she cried. "I b'lieve it spins faster every time I throw
it!"

Dorothy looked over the baluster at the humming top, but said nothing.

She knew that Floretta had seen the notice; indeed a number of the
children had stood in the hall when it had been tacked up.

Looking up at Dorothy, Floretta noticed the whip in her hand.

"Riding?" she asked.

"Yes, for a little while," said Dorothy. "It's a lovely morning, and I
mean to see how qu