preciate me. He is going to grow up to be a woman-hater--like that man
Cecile Shepard told us about, who lives next door to them in Grantham."

"Oh, yes--Neighbor," Ruth murmured.

"I know," said Dot cheerfully. "The misogynist."

"_What?_" gasped Tess, staring at her little sister who had mouthed the
word so deftly. "I never, Dot! What _is_ that? It--it sounds--Why, Dot!"

The astonishment of the whole family at the way in which the smallest
girl had said the word had pleased Dot greatly. She quite preened and
tossed her head.

"Oh, Mr. Luke taught it to me," she admitted. "He said it was such a
jaw-breaker that he was afraid I'd have a bad accident if I tried to say
it without being told just how. It's a real nice word, I think. Much
nicer than efficatacious. That's another word I've learned to say."

They laughed at her then and Dot's sudden pride was quenched.

Sammy was almost the only earnest student on this evening. He had met
some of his boy schoolmates during the past week and he found that he
desired very much to be with them in the grade they were making.

"I bet I can make it if they do," he said. "Anyway, my head's just empty
of studying now, so it ought to hold a lot. I'll cram it chock full of
the stuff in these books and then I won't have to work so hard by and
by," he added, evidently with the hope that he might obtain education by
the occasional cart-load, instead of by driblets.

Neale and Agnes were still "scrapping" in their own peculiar way. The
beauty accused Neale again of being a harsh critic.

"You never do say a good word about any of my friends," she declared.

"He's wise in not doing so," laughed Ruth. "Then there will be no
starting point for jealousy."

"_Now_ you've said something!" declared Neale.

"Humph! He wouldn't know a real sweet girl if he met one," Agnes said.

"Oh, yes. I know a sweet girl," the ex-circus boy said with twinkling
eyes.

"Who is she!"

"Carrie Mel," returned Neale quietly.

"Carrie _Who_?" demanded Agnes, while the little folks, too, pricked up
their ears.

"And there's that very pleasant girl--Jenny Rosity," the boy said with a
perfectly serious face. "And I'm sure that Ella Gant is one of the very
best of girls--"

Agnes giggled.

"What do you mean? Who are you talking about?" asked Dot, much puzzled.
"Are they friends of Aggie and Ruthie? I never heard of that Carrie--
What did you say her name was?"

"The sweet girl? Oh! Carrie Mel,"