but she sat admiring every word Rob said, and watching
every movement.

"He's the very nicest man I ever saw," she said to herself. "He treats
me as if I were grown up, and I really believe he likes to hear me
talk."

Once when they were arranging for a tennis game for the next morning, he
crossed the room with an amused smile, to say to her in a low aside:
"I've thought of something to help along the stork's cause. Bring the
little fox over to the tennis-court to watch the game. If she doesn't
find that sufficiently stupid, and you run short of big words, read
aloud to her, and tell her that is what you intend to do every day."

Such a pleased, gratified smile flashed over Mary's face that Betty
exclaimed, curiously: "I certainly would like to know what mischief you
two are planning. You laugh every time you look at each other."

Girlie Dinsmore arrived promptly next morning, trunk, doll, and all,
expecting to plunge at once into an absorbing game of lady-come-to-see.
But Mary so impressed her with the honor that had been conferred upon
them by Mr. Moore's special invitation to watch the tennis game that she
was somewhat bewildered. She dutifully followed her resolute hostess to
the tennis-court, and took a seat beside her with Evangeline clasped in
her arms. Neither of the children had watched a game before, and Girlie,
not being able to understand a single move, soon found it insufferably
stupid. But Mary became more and more interested in watching a tall,
athletic figure in outing flannels and white shoes, who swung his racket
with the deftness of an expert, and who flashed an amused smile at her
over the net occasionally, as if he understood the situation and was
enjoying it with her.

Several times when Rob's playing brought him near the seat where the two
children sat, he went into unaccountable roars of laughter, for which
the amazed girls scolded him soundly, when he refused to explain. One
time was when he overheard a scrap of conversation. Girlie had suggested
a return to the porch and the play-house, and Mary responded,
graciously:

[Illustration: "A TALL, ATHLETIC FIGURE IN OUTING FLANNELS"]

"Oh, we did all that yesterday morning, and I think that even in the
matter of playing dolls one ought to be abstemious. Don't you? You
know Arbuthnot says that 'instances of longevity are chiefly among
the abstemious,' and I certainly want to be longevous."

A startled expression crept into Girlie's pale blu