e said, holding out his hand, and not waiting for his
mother's more formal introduction.

"I'm Dolly," and the blue eyes smiled at him as a little white hand
clasped his own.

"By Jove, you do look like your picture, only you're prettier!"
exclaimed Bob as he took the chair Mrs. Fayre offered him.

"It's my new cap," and Dolly smiled from beneath the lacy frills and
rosebud decorations of a dainty new cap that Trudy had just made for
her. She wore a Japanese kimono of pale green silk embroidered with
white cherry blossoms, and as she sat surrounded by embroidered pillows
and lace coverlets, Bob thought he had never seen a prettier picture.

"You look like a princess," he said. "Princess Dolly."

"I _am_ a princess," she smiled back; "Mother and Trudy are my ladies in
waiting and do just as I bid them. How much you look like Dotty."

"Glad you think so; I think Dot's a raving beauty. But I say, it's a
shame you two girls had to go and break each other up just when we were
going to have a perfectly good old summer time."

"I know it; isn't it a shame. But we'll have to wait till next summer
and have the fun then."

"'Deed we won't! You'll be outdoors by the first of August, won't you?"

"Yes," and Dolly made a wry face, "but that's about the same as saying
the first of Eternity!"

"Oh, not so bad as that. And anyhow I'm an inventive genius, and I'll
bet we can have some fun even before August."

A bustle and commotion was heard downstairs just then and Dolly's face
lighted up as she heard a familiar voice.

"Oh," she cried; "there's Bert! Come on up, Bert."

"Sure thing!" came the reply, and in another minute Bert Fayre stood in
the doorway.

He was a tall, slender boy of seventeen with brown hair and eyes and he
looked at Dolly with a pained expression.

"Poor old Doll!" he said softly; "I'm _so_ sorry for you!"

"Oh, it isn't very bad now, Bert," and Dolly smiled cheerfully. "Come on
in and meet Mrs. Rose and Bob. They're our next door neighbours."

Bert came in and greeted the visitors with an easy grace. Then going
over to Dolly he kissed her affectionately and sat down beside her.

The two boys silently sized each other up and each concluded that the
other seemed to be "A little bit of all right."

They attended different schools, and soon were deep in a discussion of
their school doings. Dolly lay back among her pillows and looked at
them. She adored her brother and she decided that Dotty's bro