ion bore down on her
like a heavy cloud, and was a damper on her high spirits. Outwardly she
was as gay as ever, and when the walk was over, led the party on a
foraging expedition to the pantry.

Rob and Phil were almost uproarious in their merriment now, and, as they
devoured cold baked ham, pickles, cheese, beaten biscuit, and cake, they
had a fencing-match with carving-knives, and gave a ridiculous parody of
the balcony scene in "Romeo and Juliet." Mary, looking on with a
sandwich in each hand, almost choked with laughter, although she, too,
was borne down by the same feeling that depressed Lloyd, of something
very disagreeable having happened.

She had been so ruffled in spirit all the way home that she had lagged
behind the others, and it was only when Rob and Phil began their
irresistible foolishness that she had forgotten her grievance long
enough to laugh. No sooner had they all gone up-stairs, and she was
alone with Joyce, than her indignation waxed red-hot again, and she
sputtered out the whole story to her sister.

"And," she said, in conclusion, "that hateful Bernice Howe said the
meanest things to Katie. Elise and I were walking just behind, and we
couldn't help hearing. She said that Lloyd had deliberately set to work
to flirt with Mr. Shelby, and get him to pay her attention, and that, if
Katie would watch, she'd soon see how it would be. He'd be going to see
Lloyd all the time instead of her."

"Sh!" warned Joyce. "They'll hear you all over the house. Your voice is
getting higher and higher."

Her warning came too late. Already several sentences had penetrated into
the next room, and a quick knock at the door was followed by the
entrance of Lloyd, looking as red and excited as Mary.

"Tell me what it was, Mary," she demanded. "What made Bernice act so? I
was sure you knew from the way you looked when you joined us."

Mary was almost in tears as she repeated what she had told Joyce, for
she could see that the Little Colonel's temper was rising to white heat.

"And Bernice said it wasn't the first time you had treated her so. She
said that Malcolm MacIntyre was so attentive to her last summer while
you were away at the Springs; that he sent her flowers and candy and
took her driving, and was like her very shadow until you came home. Then
he dropped her like a hot potato, and you monopolized him so that you
succeeded in keeping him away from her altogether."

"Malcolm!" gasped Lloyd. "Malcolm was