ened his eyes and rose, as suddenly as he had fallen asleep,
without even a preliminary yawn.

"Sunday, isn't it?" said he, as he dressed. "But we don't have to go to
church to-day. It's the Elder's turn to preach at Stoneham; he only
comes here half the time."

After breakfast and after family prayers, Addison, Halstead and I went
out to the garden and there was some effort at a conversation about
blue-birds, a pair of which were building in a box on a pole which had
been set up in the garden wall. But we did not yet feel much acquainted;
Addison soon went back toward the house; Halstead sauntered off among
the apple trees in the orchard, and gradually approached the wall near
the road; then with a swift glance about him, he sprang over and
crouched out of sight behind it.

It occurred to me that he was doing this to initiate a frolic; and after
waiting for a few moments, I drew near the place and peeped over. But he
was not hidden there. Immediately I espied him down the road, evidently
stealing away.

White Sunday, indeed! The orchard was a sunlit wilderness of pink and
white blossoms. Every breath of the breeze shook off showers of them.
The ground grew white beneath the trees. The garden was bordered with
hedges of currant bushes; and within them stood a regiment of bare
bean-poles in line. On the upper side was a bee-house, also a long row
of grape trellises, covered with dry vines, showing here and there a
large, pale green bud.

Presently Theodora came out.

"Alone, cousin?" she asked. "Where are the other boys?"

I told her that Addison had gone into the house.

"And Halstead?"

I replied that he was in the orchard a few minutes ago.

"He's gone now," said she, glancing through the trees. "Let's go find
Addison."

No long search was necessary. She led the way directly up-stairs to his
room and tapped at the door. There was a moment's skurry inside and a
voice said, "Who's there?"

"Doad,"--with a smile to me.

The key turned and Addison looked out.

"I have brought our new cousin," she said. "Can we come in?"

"Yes," said he, hesitantly, with a backward glance into the room. "Come
in. Halse isn't there, is he?"

"No, Halse has gone, again," said Theodora.

They looked at each other significantly. Addison then opened the door
and bustled about, clearing out chairs for us. The room seemed filled
with things. On one side there was a great cupboard, stuffed, in a
helter-skelter way, with book