suppose Mrs. Boyd
would mind letting me have supper in here?"

"Oh, Hilary, she's laid the table in the living-room! I heard her
doing it. She'd be ever so disappointed."

"Well," Hilary said, "come on then."

Out in the living-room, they found Mr. Boyd waiting for them, and so
heartily glad to see them, that Hilary's momentary impatience vanished.
To Pauline's delight, she really brought quite an appetite to her
supper.

"You should've come out here long ago, Hilary," Mr. Boyd told her, and
he insisted on her having a second helping of the creamed toast,
prepared especially in her honor.

Before supper was over. Captain's deep-toned bark proclaimed a
newcomer, or newcomers, seeing that it was answered immediately by a
medley of shrill barks, in the midst of which a girl's voice sounded
authoritively--"Quiet, Phil! Pat, I'm ashamed of you! Pudgey, if
you're not good instantly, you shall stay at home to-morrow night!"

A moment later, the owner of the voice appeared at the porch door, "May
I come in, Mrs. Boyd?" she asked.

"Come right in, Miss Shirley. I've a couple of young friends here, I
want you should get acquainted with," Mrs. Boyd cried.

"You ain't had your supper yet, have you, Miss Shirley?" Mr. Boyd asked.

"Father and I had tea out on the lake," Shirley answered, "but I'm
hungry enough again by now, for a slice of Mrs. Boyd's bread and
butter."

And presently, she was seated at the table, chatting away with Paul and
Hilary, as if they were old acquaintances, asking Mr. Boyd various
questions about farm matters and answering Mrs. Boyd's questions
regarding Betsy Todd and her doings, with the most delightful air of
good comradeship imaginable.

"Oh, me!" Pauline pushed hack her chair regretfully, "I simply must
go, it'll be dark before I get home, as it is."

"I reckon it will, deary," Mrs. Boyd agreed, "so I won't urge you to
stay longer. Father, you just whistle to Colin to bring Fanny 'round."

Hilary followed her sister into the bedroom. "You'll be over soon,
Paul?"

Pauline, putting on her hat before the glass, turned quickly. "As soon
as I can. Hilary, don't you like her?"

Hilary balanced herself on the arm of the big, old-fashioned rocker.
"I think so. Anyway, I love to watch her talk; she talks all over her
face."

They went out to the gig, where Mr. and Mrs. Boyd and Shirley were
standing. Shirley was feeding Fanny with handfuls of fresh grass.
"Isn't she a fat old