? I've always
been quite wilting to play Alpheus for you, whenever you wanted."
(Timothy had studied mythology when he was in Freeport at college.)
"But think," he added, much more seriously, "think of poor Miss 'Titia.
You can be sure she's just having one fit right after the other with
you out here. I call it dirt mean to make her suffer so. And it's not a
bit like you to be mean, Arethusa, not a bit."

Arethusa yielded.

The picture Timothy presented of Miss Letitia's distress was all the
more sad to contemplate because she knew it, only too well, to be true.
She was getting a trifle tired of it, besides: it was only obstinacy
that had kept her out so long. Yet it would never do to have him find
that out. She conveyed the intelligence to him that nothing in the wide
world but the thought of Miss Letitia and Miss Letitia's unhappiness
would ever have dragged her away from the tree, lest he become unduly
convinced of the idea that any of his other, and more immediately
personal, arguments had influenced.

"And," she added, "I wanted to get real wet, for just once. But I
couldn't get any wetter if I stayed. My shoes slosh now."

He agreed with her perfectly. "Without a doubt they do; I can hear 'em.
You were certainly well named Arethusa, you crazy thing!" He tucked her
arm in his with an authoritative air, "Let's run for it."

Nothing suited Arethusa better.

They had a glorious race through the wet orchard and brought up with a
grand flourish on the back porch, where Mandy greeted their finale with
many horrified exclamations and much gesturing.

"Ef Mis' 'Liza wuz to see you! Ef Mis' 'Liza wuz jes' to see you all
now!"

"Well, she mustn't," cautioned Timothy. "Stop making so much noise,
Mandy, and smuggle Arethusa in."

"I don't really care if she does see me," Arethusa herself announced
most recklessly. "I've had so much fun! Listen...." She slapped her wet
dress against her, "Doesn't that make a funny sound? And, oh, Timothy,
see what a puddle I've made already, just running off me!! Look!"

"Mis' Titia's ben havin' one hystik after anothah, Arethusie, she were
so sure you wuz struck w'en we heered that big tree go down in Mis'
'Senath's Woods. An' Mis' 'Liza's...."

"Well, Arethusa! I must say that this is a performance!"

And the three on the back porch turned to see Miss Eliza regarding them
grimly from the kitchen doorway.

Timothy gallantly removed his Jimmy hat and bowed, but Miss Eliza's
exp