her to
say something in Elsie's defence, and yet what could she say? After a
moment's silence Beverly went on.

"I should like your cousin a lot better if she resigned from being
president of that Club."

"She--she tore up the poem," faltered Marjorie. "She said it was trash.
I don't think she meant to do anything mean, but she is so clever, she
couldn't bear to have any other poem better than hers."

"You're a loyal little soul, Marjorie," said Beverly, approvingly, "but
all you can say won't alter the fact that your cousin did a mean,
contemptible thing. She knows I found her out, and she hasn't looked me
straight in the face since. I don't like sneaks in girls any better than
in boys."

Marjorie felt the conversation had gone far enough. She did not wish to
discuss Elsie even with Beverly Randolph, although the two had become
great friends during the past ten days, so after a little pause, she
changed the subject by asking her companion if he did not think they had
better be turning towards home.

Beverly glanced at his watch.

"I suppose we'd better," he said, reluctantly. "I hate to cut our last
ride short, but Mammy will be heart-broken if we keep her waffles
waiting."

"I'm so glad we are going to Mammy's cabin," Marjorie said, as they
turned the horses' heads in a homeward direction. "It makes me think of
so many things I have read. Don't you remember in 'Uncle Tom's Cabin,'
how George Selby used to slip away from the big house, and go down to
Uncle Tom's for waffles and fried chicken? Mammy is such an old dear; I
do want to hear her talk again."

"She certainly is a character," said Beverly, laughing. "We'll get her
to tell some anecdotes about Barbara and me. According to Mammy I must
have been a pickle."

Marjorie was conscious of a feeling of relief at having successfully
turned the conversation away from Elsie and her affairs, and she and
Beverly chatted on pleasantly until they reached Mammy's cabin, where
they dismounted and Beverly tied the horses to the hitching post. Mammy
was on the watch for them, and gave them a hearty welcome.

"Now you jes lay off yo' tings, and set down by de fiah," she commanded,
placing chairs for the visitors, "an' I'll have dem waffles done in a
jiffy. Lor', Mas'r Bev'ly, it jes' does my heart good to see you settin'
heah in my kitchen, like you used to do when you an' Miss Babs--now
Mas'r Bev'ly, don't you tease my Josephus; he mighty 'telligent cat, he
is. He