o the young girl's manner. Madge was so shy and
deprecating that Phil could hardly help laughing at her. What would Miss
Betsey think later on, when the little captain had one of her attacks of
high spirits?

Miss Taylor asked so many questions about the houseboat that Phil was
kept busy answering her. Madge spoke only in monosyllables, her
attention being devoted to the twins. The cake and lemonade having been
disposed of, these two tiny persons kept wriggling about the drawing
room in momentary peril of upsetting the tables and chairs.

"Miss Taylor," broke in Madge suddenly, in her usual, unexpected
fashion, "if you don't mind, I think I will take the little girls out
into your back garden. I wish to speak to your boy, David. I have asked
our friend, Tom Curtis, to take David to help him with his motor boat
during our trip. I hope you don't mind?"

Miss Betsey caught her breath. She was startled by the suddenness of
Madge's suggestion, as she was to be many times during her acquaintance
with that young woman. Then Miss Betsey looked dubious. "Take David
with us?" she faltered. "I don't advise it. It was good of you, child,
to think of it, and it would be a wonderful opportunity for the boy. But
I am obliged to tell you that David is not trustworthy. He spends too
many hours alone, and refuses to tell anybody what he is doing. Make him
confide in you, or else do not take him away with us. I'll try to find
something for the boy to do nearer home."

Madge thought she caught a gleam in Miss Betsey's eyes that revealed a
goodly amount of curiosity about David's secret occupations, as much as
it did interest in his welfare. She made up her mind that she would not
pry into poor David's secrets simply because she had a chance to offer
him the opportunity to make his living during the summer.

Holding Dot by one hand and Daisy by the other, Madge appeared at the
half-open barn-door, her eyes shining with friendliness.

David was working fiercely. He hated the cleaning of the barn, so he
chose to-day to do it as an outlet for his foolish feeling of injury.

"David," exclaimed Madge, "I must call you that, as I don't know your
other name, I would like to speak to you." There was no hint of
patronage in Madge's manner. She was too well-bred a young woman either
to feel or to show it. She really felt no difference between herself
and David, except that the boy had never had the opportunities that had
been hers.

But Davi