the elder-tree, thought he had hit on a very happy plan
for keeping Walter away.

"I've given him a fright," said he, as he went back to where his
sisters were sitting by the edge of the stream. "I've told him there's
a ghost in that tree. He won't come past it in a hurry."

Loo laughed, but Lena said: "He'll really believe it, Sydney. He's
such a nervous sort of a child."

"I want him to believe it," said Sydney. "He's such an inquisitive
little chap that he'd have been coming down here to see my wheel when
I wasn't about. I don't know what mother asked him for. He's a perfect
nuisance."

"Mother wants us to be kind to him," said Lena; "you know she said so.
Poor little thing! He hasn't got a mother, and he's always left with
servants now."

"The best place for him," exclaimed Sydney. "Why should he bother us
and spoil our holiday?"

"He's a stupid little thing," said Loo.

Lena was silent. "He's not like other children," she said, after a
minute, "but how can he be? Mother says he has never had any jolly
times or any children to play with."

"O, well," said Sydney carelessly, "he's got Madge and Johnny now, and
that ought to be enough." And then he forgot all about Walter in the
interest of fixing his wheel.

Meanwhile Walter went slowly back again through the garden, his heart
full of bitter disappointment. He did so want to see that wheel! He
had been dreaming about it all night, for he had known that it was to
be fixed and tried the next day. He had been watching for an
opportunity ever since Sydney and his sisters had gone to the stream.
It came when nurse went indoors with Johnny, and Madge got sulky and
buried herself in a picture-book. That was the moment when he stole
away unobserved. If only he could have had one peep! He wouldn't have
touched it, not for the world; he only wanted to look at the wonderful
thing, and to see if he could perhaps make one some day. He would like
to try now, but he was not allowed to have a knife, and he did not
know where to get wood. Then when he went home there would be no
stream and no new sorts of play.

Just then he heard Madge calling him.

"Come here and play, Walter," she said. "I'll be a bear among the
trees and I'll run out and catch you."

"I don't like that game, Madge," said he; "you roar so loud and then I
think it really is a bear."

"You baby!" said she. "Well, Johnny and nurse will play and you can
run away."

No, he could not do that. He woul