ich she wore hanging, as if to prepare
herself for an encounter.

Alan approached the girls rather shyly, introductions were made, and
after a little consultation Maud decided that they would make an
expedition to the pond. Strange to say, by the time the pond was
reached, Alan had dismissed all thoughts of booby traps and apple-pie
beds, for Miss Maud had quite won him over by her expressions of opinion
upon things in general and upon boys in particular. He felt that it was
more than possible, without loss of dignity, to "chum up" with such a
girl. The only thing he did not like about her was the way she waggled
her skirts, and he decided that some one ought to tell her not to do it,
although he would have hesitated long had such a task devolved upon
himself.

So the Triple Alliance became a quadruple one, and on the whole things
went well with its members. It must be admitted that Marjory understood
Maud much better than did her cousin Blanche. Blanche was an
unimaginative, rather matter-of-fact little person, and was apt to take
all Maud's sayings literally. For instance, when her cousin said, as she
often did, "Don't I look sweet in this dress?" or "this hat?" as the
case might be, Blanche would think her vain and conceited, and feel
ashamed of her, whereas Marjory would know at once that it was only
Maud's fun, and would laugh at these sayings of hers.

As the days went by, Marjory found herself really liking this bright,
merry girl with all her airs and nonsense. She noticed her devotion to
her mother, and saw that in spite of her talk about always taking her
own way, she very seldom did anything that was really in opposition to
her mother's wishes. True, she laughed at her indulgent muddle-headed
parent; but though it shocked poor Blanche's ideas of what was fitting,
this laughter was nothing more than affectionate raillery and a sign in
itself of the excellent understanding which existed between mother and
daughter. "Mamma does forget so," she would say. "Papa says sometimes he
believes she forgets that he ever existed."

To Dr. Hunter, Maud was an entirely new phenomenon, and he studied her
with curiosity. He had not been much better pleased than the children
when he heard of the expected visitors, for he still wished to keep
Marjory away from strangers if possible; but he had not the heart to
separate her from her friend at Christmas time, and so he allowed her to
go to Braeside just as usual.

Maud conq