ut in the midst of such a din, it was very
difficult to make herself heard, and at last she gave up in despair.

"It's no good, Hec," she said, "I can't go on. Hoodie spoils everything
when she gets like that."

The little fellows' faces lengthened.

"Hoodie 'poils ebery'sing," they murmured.

Just then the door opened.

"Miss Hoodie," said the maid who came in, "Miss Hoodie again! And Sunday
morning too--the day you should be extra good."

"The day she is nearly always extra naughty," said Magdalen, with the
superiority of eight years old. "It's no good speaking to her, Martin.
She's going to go on--she shut the doors first."

Martin seated herself composedly beside the three children.

"I never did see such a child," she said; "no, never. You would think,
Miss Maudie, she might stop if she liked, seeing how she can keep it in
like, as long as she's afraid of her Mamma hearing. If she can keep it
in till she shuts the doors, she might keep it in altogether, you would
think."

"Stop! of course she can stop if she likes," said Magdalen. "What was it
set her off, Martin, do you know?"

"Something about Prince," replied Martin. "Thomas said she was trying to
get him to come up-stairs with her, and he whistled to him, not knowing,
and Prince ran away from her."

"Hoodie's keeped all her bicsits for Pince, for a treat for him for
Sunday," said little Hec, with some evident sympathy for Hoodie.

"She shouldn't be so silly then," said Maudie. "What do dogs know about
its being Sunday, and treats? I know Hoodie always spoils _our_ Sundays,
and we're better than dogs."

"I don't love you, naughty Maudie. I don't love _any_ body," screamed
Hoodie.

"It certainly doesn't look as if you did, and very soon nobody will love
you, Miss Hoodie, if you go on so," said Martin, virtuously.

"I wish," said Duke, the second twin, "I wish papa would build anoder
_gate_ big house and put Hoodie to live there all alone, don't you,
Maudie? A gate big house where not nobody could hear her sceaming."

Great applause followed this brilliant idea--but the laughter only
increased Hoodie's fury. Duke was the next she turned upon.

"I don't love you, naughty, ugly Duke," she screamed. "I don't love
_any_ body. Go away evybody, go away, go _away_, go AWAY."

Such was Hoodie--poor Hoodie--at five years old!

What had made her so naughty? That was the question that puzzled
everybody concerned--not forgetting Hoodie herself.

"I di