he ladder down this way I know I can
climb up," he said. "I've been looking at you for a long time, only
you were so busy you didn't notice me. And I want to get up and have a
look at that place you have built in the tree."

Betty and John turned to Madge and remained silent. The occasion was
so strange that they gladly yielded to their elder sister the privilege
of deciding what was to be done. But for once even the masterful Madge
had some difficulty in making up her mind. There were so many things
to be considered before taking any decisive action.

Of course it would be delightful to exhibit all their inventions and
contrivances to a stranger, a boy who was apparently of an exact age to
take an intelligent interest in such matters. But then, on the other
hand, they had never been given permission to speak to this boy, and
perhaps it was not the right thing to do.

"Still, I don't remember that we have ever been forbidden to talk to
strangers, have we?" said Madge aloud. She was very anxious to be
provided with an excuse for inviting this new boy to join the party.

"No, I don't think we have ever actually been told not to speak to
people we don't know," said Betty thoughtfully. "But then, you know,
Mama and Miss Thompson would never think of our meeting a stranger in
the fields, and of course we don't go on the roads by ourselves."

This was perfectly true, but it did not suit Madge at all.

"I don't know what people think," she said impatiently; "only what they
say. And if we have never been forbidden to speak to a stranger, I
expect there is no harm in it. We are forbidden things fast enough if
they are wrong. Sometimes it seems as if there would be hardly
anything left that we are allowed to do!" She spoke rather recklessly,
having half made up her mind to do something that she knew perfectly
well was not right, and hoping by talking very loud and fast to stifle
the voice of her conscience.

"You are keeping me a precious long time waiting!" called out the boy
from below. "You don't mean to say you are such a set of babies that
you are afraid to let down the ladder for me without first running back
to the nursery to ask permission?"

At this taunt Madge became very red. "I've got nothing to do with the
nursery, and I'm not afraid of anybody!" she exclaimed. These bold
statements were not only silly but untrue; however, she did not stop to
think of that in her overwhelming hurry to convince