de up my mind I'll be just as
polite as possible, but I'll do as the stork did in the fable; make my
entertainment so deep she won't enjoy it. I'm hunting up the longest
words I can find and learning their definitions, so that I can use them
properly."

Rob, looking over her shoulder, laughed to see the list she had chosen:

"Indefatigability,
Juxtaposition,
Loquaciousness,
Pabulum,
Peregrinate,
Longevous."

"You see," explained Mary, "sometimes there is a quotation after the
word from some author, so I've copied a lot of them to use, instead of
making up sentences myself. Here's one from Shakespeare about alacrity.
And here's one from Arbuthnot, whoever he was, that will make her
stare."

She traced the sentence with her forefinger, for Rob's glance to follow:
"_Instances of longevity are chiefly among the abstemious_."

"Girlie won't have any more idea of what I'm talking about than a
jay-bird."

To Mary's astonishment, the laugh with which Rob received her confidence
was so long and loud it ended in a whoop of amusement, and when he had
caught his breath he began again in such an infectious way that the
girls up-stairs heard it and joined in. Then Lloyd leaned over the
banister to call:

"What's the mattah, Rob? You all seem to be having a mighty funny time
down there. Save your circus for us. We'll be down in a few minutes."

"This is just a little private side-show of Mary's and mine," answered
Rob, going off into another peal of laughter at sight of Mary's solemn
face. There was nothing funny in the situation to her whatsoever.

"Oh, don't tell, Mister Rob," she begged. "Please don't tell. Joyce
might think it was impolite, and would put a stop to it. It seems funny
to you, but when you think of my whole lovely visit spoiled that way--"

She stopped abruptly, so much in earnest that her voice broke and her
eyes filled with tears.

Instantly Rob's laughter ceased, and he begged her pardon in such a
grave, kind way, assuring her that her confidence should be respected,
that her admiration of him went up several more degrees. When the girls
came down, he could not be prevailed upon to tell them what had sent him
off into such fits of laughter. "Just Mary's entertaining remarks," was
all he would say, looking across at her with a meaning twinkle in his
eyes. She immediately retired into the background as soon as the older
girls appeared,