. Grey have the nerve to come to my house and
steal you away to be made a laughing stock of in church?"

The boy flushed but tried to be courteous in his answer.

"I didn't see anybody laugh at us, Aunt Hetty. And Mr. Grey didn't steal
us away. We got tired of sitting here and so we ran out in the street
and he saw us and took us with him. Some children sang, and a man talked
and we had a dandy time. I'm sorry that I disobeyed you, but I'm glad I
went and I don't know whether I'm gladder or sorrier. So I don't much
care what you do to me."

"You will be punished severely," replied their aunt, "for running away
and going to church with that man."

"Why, what is wrong with him?" queried the niece, remembering Mr. Grey's
wonderful smile and how nicely he had treated them.

Miss Hetty was silent for a moment. She was uncertain just which was the
best way to answer this question. Finally she said, "Pearl, Periwinkle!
There is something I must tell you; something that you must find out
before you begin school the week after next. It may be hard for you to
understand this but you must know it so that you will not make any
mistakes again. You know there are only two families in this village,
two families that have any influence, I mean. They are the Maises and
the Greys and their relatives. They used to be good friends; in fact,
such good friends that two of them promised to become even more to one
another. Three years ago a quarrel began. My father had a very fine pig,
a Poland China, very fat--I remember. One night it strayed into neighbor
Grey's cabbage patch, and being a pig, did much damage. Mr. Grey came to
father who promised to keep Glenny--the pig--at home. That same night it
got out again and Mr. Grey who was rather hot tempered sicked his dog
on it. The big fellow killed our finest pig. Father went to law about
it, but died before it came to court, and the lawsuit was dropped. But
the quarrel kept on just the same. The Greys clung together and so did
the Maises. Every one else in the village sided with one or the other. I
thought I'd better tell you this before you started to school. The
Maises and Greys pass each other without speaking now."

"Why, I think that's silly," said Peri energetically "and Mr. Grey don't
look like a fellow to get sore over a pig."

"He did his best to avoid getting mixed up in the trouble," admitted
Miss Maise, "but it was his father's dog that killed the pig, and he
just couldn't h