told me she had met you two or
three times by accident and you had talked to each other for a little
while. She seemed to feel she ought to speak of it to me and to Miss
Mason. Teresa is a dear, but she isn't as clever as some of the other
girls and I don't think you would ever care to be very intimate
friends. She never could understand you as Tory and Louise do. You did
tell Teresa she was to be chosen for Penelope, didn't you?"

Lance whistled.

"I suppose so, if she insists upon it."

"Well, I wish you would stick to one story or the other, Lance,"
Dorothy protested, moving away with Tory Drew and leaving her brother
and Louise Miller together.

"I suppose there are not many things I would not forgive you, but I
never should forgive your not being truthful."

Lance and Louise remained silent a few moments after the others had
departed.

Reproachfully Louise studied the thin, eager face.

"Lance, I can guess it is in your code to protect a girl by telling a
half truth. I suppose Teresa somehow got the impression she was to be
chosen for Penelope without your having said so. She is a vain little
thing. But what I want to say is, please never hurt Dorothy in order
to protect anyone else. Perhaps she is only your sister, but she hates
deceit more than anything in the world, and you know how devoted she
is to you."

Lance frowned.

"See here, Louise, I'm not in the habit of telling fibs, so don't
preach. I am not going to have Teresa suffer any more criticism from
the rest of you girls. I have met her a few times and we have talked.
She seemed to think perhaps it was a mistake as long as our two camps
were not friendly, so I am glad she has spoken of the fact to Dorothy
and Miss Mason. I wasn't going to say anything first.

"You need not worry over Dorothy and me, Ouida. We have our scraps now
and then, but there isn't another girl I think holds a candle to her
at present, not even you or Tory.

"By the way, we ought to be special friends. We are both 'different,'
and no one ever really likes being. Dorothy says you have got some
queer idea in your head that you would like to be a naturalist. That
is almost as good as my wishing to be a musician, when we both have
our own livings to earn, the sooner the better for ourselves and
families. We aren't all Tory Drews in this world!"

Louise's earnest pale gray eyes with their dark lashes were staring
intently at her companion.

"I agree with the first part