happy. It was a delightful thing, after all, to
render some one truly happy. Perhaps children were more easily
satisfied, more responsive.

"Oh," he said presently, "we must go back or we will lose our supper,
and Cousin Elizabeth will scold."

"I shouldn't think she would dare to scold you;" raising wondering eyes.

"Why not?" He wondered what reason she would give.

"Because you are a man."

"She scolds Silas."

"Oh, that is different."

"How--different? We are both men. He is quite as tall as I."

"But you see--well, he is something like a servant. She tells him what
to do, and if he doesn't do it right she can find fault with it. But
you are--well, the house is yours. You can do what pleases you."

"Quite reasoned out, little one;" and he laughed with an approving
sound.

"It's curious that you scold people you like, and other people may do
the same thing and--is it because you don't dare to? If it is wrong in
the one place, why not in the other?"

"Perhaps politeness restrains us."

"I don't like people to scold. Miss Eunice never does."

"Eunice has a sweet nature. Doesn't Miss Winn ever scold you?"

"Well--I suppose I am bad and wilful sometimes, and then she has the
right. But when you do things that do not matter----"

Miss Winn was walking in the garden. Cynthia waved her hand, but walked
leisurely forward.

"I couldn't imagine what had become of you."

"It was my fault," interposed Chilian. "I met her at the gate and asked
her to go for a walk."

"And with that soiled apron!"

"That came off the slate. I hadn't any desk. It was hard to hold it on
my knee."

"You might have come in for a clean one. Run upstairs and change it."

But she was destined to meet Cousin Elizabeth in the hall. The elder
caught her arm roughly.

"Where have you been gadding to, bad girl? Didn't you know you must
come straight home from school? Here we have been worried half to death
about you, and I'm tired as a dog, trotting 'round all day. You deserve
a good whipping;" and she shook her. She would have enjoyed slapping her
soundly. But Chilian entered at that instant.

"She is going upstairs for a clean apron," he said. "I took her off for
a walk."

"She might have asked whether she could go or not," snapped Elizabeth.
"She's the most lawless thing!"

"It was my place. Don't blame the child!"

"Well, supper's ready."

She didn't have her apron on quite straight and her hair was a little
frowsy. El