ere a while longer, putting their desks in
perfect order.

"Gracie," said Lulu, "how much money have you left?"

"Not a single cent," was the reply in a rather rueful tone; "and I
suppose yours is all gone too?"

"Yes; every cent of it. I feel as poor as a church mouse."

"But we are not wanting to buy anything just now, and papa will be
giving us some pocket-money again pretty soon," returned Grace in a
determinedly cheerful tone.

"Yes, so he will! Oh, what a dear, good, kind father he is! I really
don't believe there are very many girls of our ages that get so much
pocket-money every week. And papa gave us so much extra money too, to
use in buying our gifts for Cousin Betty."

"Oh, yes, and now I think of it, I don't believe we ought to expect any
more pocket-money for a good while. Do you, Lu?"

"No, I don't; for this wedding's costing a good deal--to papa as well as
other folks; and the journey home will cost ever so much, besides all
that papa paid to bring us here. Then, too, he's going to see Max again
after we get home, and will maybe take one or both of us along--if we're
good."

"Oh, do you think so?" exclaimed Grace. "Oh, I'd love to see Maxie! but
if only one of us can go it ought to be you, because you're the oldest,
and so well that it wouldn't give papa half so much trouble to take care
of you as of me."

"I'm just sure papa doesn't think it any trouble to take care of you,
Gracie," returned Lulu in her quick, earnest way. "And you are a better
girl than I, therefore more deserving of such indulgences."

"That's a mistake of yours, Lu," said Grace; "you've been good as gold
ever since we came to Viamede--as well as before--and helped papa with
your typewriter, while I haven't done anything but wait on him a
little, and try to learn my lessons well, and amuse the little ones
sometimes."

Lulu's face had grown very red while Grace was speaking, and she hung
her head in a shamefaced, remorseful way.

"No, Gracie," she said in a low, mortified tone, "I haven't been half so
good as you think; I displeased papa very much that day when you all
went to Magnolia Hall, and I had to stay at home and learn my lessons
over. I was very angry and cross with dear little Ned because he meddled
with my herbarium, which I had carelessly left lying out on my desk. If
papa had punished me very severely it would have been no more than I
deserved, but all he did was to send me to my room for a while till I
told