he was cold," Roy suggested.

"I've thought of that. I don't usually move them indoors until much
later," said Harry thoughtfully, "but the weather is so cold this Fall
that I think I'll put them in to-day. Maybe he's been sleeping in a
draft. Mamma says that will almost always give you a sore throat."

They walked back to the cottage together and on the way Harry was
unusually quiet. Finally, when Roy had pleaded a recitation, she
unburdened her mind and conscience.

"I--I'm sorry about the other day," she said suddenly.

Roy, who had turned away, looked around in surprise.

"I mean when I didn't speak to you one morning," explained Harry
bravely. Her cheeks were furiously red and Roy found himself sharing her
embarrassment.

"Oh, that's all right," he muttered.

"No, it isn't all right," contradicted Harry. "It was a low-down thing
to do and I was sorry right away. Only you didn't look and so--so I--I
didn't call you. I--I wish you had looked. It was all Horace's fault. He
said--said--"

"Yes, I guess I know what he said," interrupted Roy. "But supposing what
he said is so?"

"I wouldn't care--much," was the answer. "But I know it isn't so! Is
it?"

Roy dropped his eyes and hesitated. Then,

"No," he muttered. "It isn't so, Harry."

"I knew it!" she cried triumphantly. "I told him I knew it afterwards!
And he said girls weren't proper persons to judge of such things, and I
don't see what that's got to do with my knowing--what I know, do you?"

Roy had to acknowledge that he didn't.

"And you're not cross with me, are you?" she demanded anxiously.

"Not a bit," he said.

"That's nice. I don't like folks I like to not like--Oh, dear me! I'm
all balled up! Only I mustn't say 'balled up.' I meant that I
was--confused. Anyway, I'm going to tell all the boys that it isn't so,
that you didn't squeal--I mean _tell_--on Horace and the others! And I
think it was a nasty trick to play on you! Why, you might have caught
your death of cold!"

"Or a sore throat, like Methuselah," said Roy, smiling.

"Or you might have been drowned. Once there was a boy drowned here, a
long, long time ago, when I was just a kid. It was very sad. But you
weren't drowned, were you? And so there's no use in supposing, is there?
But I'm going to tell the boys that--"

"I'd rather you didn't, please, Harry," broke in Roy.

Harry, who was becoming quite enthusiastic and excited, opened her eyes
very wide.

"Not tell?" she crie