ningham.

Meanwhile the little procession of two, encouraged by the laughter,
marched in and out between the groups of guests, until unlucky Floretta
let her corn-cob slip from her fingers, the moist, sticky thing falling
upon the light silk skirt of a lady who sat near Mrs. Paxton.

"There, there, Floretta, never mind," said Mrs. Paxton; then turning to
the wearer of the gown, she said, "I don't think it will stain it in the
least. Children will be children, and must have their fun!"

CHAPTER III

AN ENTERTAINMENT

MRS. PAXTON had laughed at what she chose to call the "funny" antics of
Floretta and Jack, but in truth, she had been very angry.

She swept from the piazza, Floretta, firmly grasped, walking beside her.
Jack Tiverton's mother took him to her room, where she could talk to
him, without fear of interruption.

Floretta sat on a low divan, sullen and obstinate.

For twenty minutes she had listened, while her mother had told what a
disrespectful thing she had done.

"I don't see how it was not respectful," grumbled Floretta, "we were
just having a little fun."

"And it was fun at my expense," said Mrs. Paxton. "I was annoyed, just
when I was making plans for a _fine_ entertainment, to have you and that
boy parade out on to the piazza with those old corn-cobs, singing, or
rather _howling_, like young savages!"

This, and much more Floretta was forced to listen to, but during the
remainder of the scolding, she did not speak, or reply in any way.

She was still very sullen when her mother left the room, and no one saw
her until she appeared in the dining-room at dinner.

She tasted one dish after another, but managed to eat but little dinner.
She wished her mother to think that the scolding had made her ill.

It proved to be wasted effort. Mrs. Paxton had been so interested in
what Mrs. Dayne was saying that she had not noticed that Floretta let
the various courses go untasted.

She had hoped to worry her mother, but had only punished herself!

She was very hungry when they left the table, and also very angry.

"I might just as well have eaten my dinner," she muttered, "she never
noticed that I didn't."

When the hour arrived that had been set for the concert, every guest was
present, and all were talking and laughing gaily, and very glad that an
evening's amusement had been provided.

Outside, the rain was descending in torrents, while a cold wind whistled
around the corners, as if de