fter that you may settle your difficulties as you please."

"Miserable upstart!" cried the man, now so thoroughly angry that he let
go Anne's hand, "I have a good mind to give you what you deserve. As for
you, undutiful, wretched girl," he added, his voice rising to an
emotional tremolo, "you shall be well punished for this!"

"Don't wait," whispered Anne. "If we run, we can get away, now, while he
is so angry." At that they all took to their heels, David following
after them, much relieved to have given Anne's father the slip without
further disagreeable argument.

No one spoke until they had reached the Pierson cottage and had seen
Anne safely to the front door.

"I'm so sorry!" she exclaimed at last, trying not to cry. "I wouldn't
for anything have had it happen, and just when you were all beginning to
like me a little. Will you forgive me?"

"Forgive you, Anne!" cried Grace. "It wasn't your fault. We are only
awfully sorry for you."

"We will just forget all about it, and never speak of it to anyone,"
promised Jessica, taking the girl's hand kindly.

"But I want you to understand that I was right in not going," protested
Anne. "Some day I will explain."

"Of course you were right," said David, "and I hope you will never be
persuaded to go."

"Thank you, all, a thousand times!" came gratefully from Anne; "and good
night." Then she disappeared into the cottage.

"Well, this was a night's adventure," observed Grace, as they started
homeward.

"I am afraid Anne's father is a night's adventurer," muttered David. "He
looks mightily like one of those strolling actors who go barnstorming
through country towns."

"Poor Anne! Do you suppose he wants her to barnstorm?" asked Nora.

"I haven't a doubt of it," replied the young man. "I think you girls had
better adopt that poor child and look after her."

"We have already," answered Grace. "Didn't Miriam tell you about it?"

"Miriam? No; she never tells me anything. Besides, what has she to do
with it?"

The girls were silent.

"By the way," continued Grace, "speaking of barnstorming, we want to ask
your advice, David. The sophomores played a mean trick on us the other
day at the old Omnibus House."

"I heard something about the Black Monks of Asia," answered David,
laughing.

"Can't your inventive brain devise a scheme of revenge?" went on Grace.
"If we don't get even with them soon, the story will be all over town."

"Well," replied David, "I can tell