a cool little nod, and stared straight past Anne. Then
turning to her brother she said, "David, show Miss Crosby and her friends
your aeroplane, they wish to see it."

A look of grim determination settled about David's mouth. Looking his
sister squarely in the face, he said, "I am sorry to seem disobliging but
I cannot show your friends my aeroplane and I am surprised to find that
they know I have one."

Miriam reddened at this, but said insolently, "If you can invite other
people to see it, you can show it to us."

There was an uncomfortable silence. Mrs. Gray looked surprised and
annoyed. The peaceful old lady, disliked scenes of any kind. Grace and her
chums, knowing that Miriam was only making herself ridiculous, felt
embarrassed for her. Then Julia Crosby laughed in her tantalizing
irritating way.

That settled the matter as far as David was concerned.

"You are right," he said, "I could show my flying machine to you and your
friends if I cared to do so. However, I don't care to. Knowing that I
wished my experiment to be kept a secret, you came here with the one idea
of being disagreeable, and you have succeeded. I am sorry to be so rude to
my own sister, but occasionally the brutal truth is a good thing for you
to hear, Miriam."

Miriam was speechless with anger, but before she could frame a reply, Mrs.
Gray said soothingly "Children, children don't quarrel. David, it is
getting late. We had better go. I suppose it is of no use to ask any of
you athletic young folks to ride back to town." With a little bow to
Miriam and her discomfited party, Mrs. Gray turned toward where her
carriage awaited her, followed by David and his friends.

After bidding her good-bye, the young people took the road to town. For
David's sake all mention of the recent unpleasantness was tacitly avoided,
though it was uppermost in each one's mind.

"I have one thing to be thankful for," said Grace to Anne, as she turned
in at her own gate, "and that is that Miriam Nesbit isn't my sister."

As for Miriam, her feelings can be better imagined than described. She
sulked and pouted the whole way home, vowing to get even with David for
daring to cross her. Julia Crosby grew rather tired of Miriam's tirade,
and left her with the parting advice that she had better forget it.

When Miriam reached home she immediately asked if David had come in.
Receiving an affirmative reply, she went from room to room looking for
him, and finally found hi