est of a family, and decidedly fond of
managing things her own way. So it presently came about that she
decided not to let the roses be eaten, and not to disturb anybody else,
but to drive Jack and Jill out of the garden all by herself. Perhaps
it seemed rather unkind not to wake Betty, who was sleeping quietly in
her little bed in the other corner of the room. However, she looked so
comfortable that it was almost a pity to disturb her, and after all she
was two years younger than Madge, and could not reasonably expect to do
exactly the same things as her elder sister. She would be very full of
reproaches when she woke up, but Madge resolved to risk a little
sisterly abuse sooner than permit anyone to share the glory of her
exploit.

It really does not take very long to dress if one omits all ornamental
additions, and dispenses with everything in the shape of a bath! Jack
and Jill had not time to do more than taste the succulent young shoots
of half a dozen rose-trees before Madge had crept downstairs and
quietly opened the front-door. Then with a half-suppressed shout of
battle she rushed towards them, waving a walking-stick which she had
the presence of mind to snatch up in passing through the hall. The
goats both gave a guilty start at the first sound, and then crossed the
lawn in a series of most amazing bounds. Madge afterwards compared
them to gigantic grasshoppers; and, indeed, as she panted hopelessly
behind them, she would scarcely have felt surprised if one of her
nimble pets had, with a higher leap than usual, suddenly perched on the
bough of a tree or the roof of a house!

Madge had often laughed at her father's little terrier, Snap, for
chasing the sparrows up and down the lawn in the vain hope of some day
catching them, but she soon began to realize that she had started on
quite as hopeless an enterprise herself. However rapidly she ran along
the paths, however stealthily she stalked behind the bushes, Jack and
Jill proved quicker and more artful. When, with untold trouble, she
had driven them into a corner, and was advancing with outstretched
hands to grasp their pert little horns, they would just toss their
heads, and without any apparent effort skip right over her shoulder and
be off half across the garden almost before she could turn round.

"I do believe I shall have to go back and fetch Betty after all,"
muttered Madge, when this sort of thing had gone on so long that she
was fairly tire