was not sure she liked the way it was being
brought about.

Dolly came back, arm in arm with Maisie.

The two boys stood in front of Grace until the girls came up, and then
Tad, whisking aside, said, with a low bow: "Miss Maisie May, I want to
make you acquainted with Miss Grace Rawlins, the nicest girl in Berwick,
except the rest of them."

Maisie coloured and looked half-angry, half-amused, and Tad went on: "I
see by the papers that you two girls don't know each other to speak to,
so Dolly Fayre and us two boys are a committee of three to see that you
become acquainted immediately if not sooner. You two will therefore now
greet each other with a nice, sweet kiss."

Tad's manner was so funny and so like a kindly old gentleman, that the
girls had to laugh.

But though Grace looked willing to obey the order, Maisie did not.

"Don't be silly, Tad," she said; "I guess you don't know what Grace said
about me, or you wouldn't ask me to kiss her!"

"Tell me," said Tad, with the air of an impartial judge, "and I and my
wise colleague, Mr. Lorillard Henry, will size up the case and pronounce
judgment."

"Why, she said I was the meanest girl in Berwick, because I wouldn't
tell her the answer to an algebra example. And I couldn't, because Miss
Haskell had made us all promise not to tell the answers to anybody--she
wanted everybody to do them without help."

"Seems to me you did the right thing," and Tad looked at Grace.

"I didn't know that," said Grace. "I wasn't at school the day Miss
Haskell said that."

"Then you couldn't be expected to know," said Tad; "now, it's just as I
said, a boy would fight it out with another boy, and he might punch his
head, but the matter would be understood and straightened out, and not
sulk for two weeks over it."

"I didn't sulk," said Grace.

"Well, you two sillies didn't speak to each other,--it's about the same
thing. _Now_ will you be good! Will you kiss and make up?"

"I will," said Maisie May, heartily, and she flung her arms round Grace,
and gave her a most friendly kiss, which was as heartily returned.

"Bless you, my children!" said Tad, dramatically. "Now don't let me hear
of your quarrelling again! Are you mad at anybody, Dolly?"

"No, sir, thank you; but if I am, at any time, I'll come to you for a
peacemaker."

"Oh, _look_ who's here!" cried Lollie, spying a strange figure walking
across the lawn.

The group joined the others and found themselves invited to ta