some distance away.

"What business have you got here?" said the taller of the strange
girls, stepping up.

"Why, we're just playing," replied Marian.

"Just playing," mimicked the girl. "Do you hear that, Pearl? Just
playing with our things. Ain't that cheek for you? Let's show her
what we think of folks that steal our belongings."

"I haven't taken a thing," said Marian indignantly. "I am not a
thief."

"Where's my doll, then? Call me a liar, do you?" said the girl
fiercely, and stepping still nearer she gave Marian a sounding
slap on the cheek.

By this time Patty had seen the newcomers and had hurried up. "Don't
you dare touch my friend," she cried. "We're not doing any harm to
you and your things."

"Well, you've meddled with them, and you were going to take my doll;
you've got it now. Give it to me," and the girl snatched Miggy Wee
from Patty's hand. "They meddled, didn't they, Pearl?"

"Yes, they did," chimed in the younger girl. "They meddled, so
they did."

"Well, they've got to hustle off pretty quick or I'll set my
father's big dog on them. Get out, you thieves," she said to
Patty and Marian.

"We are not thieves," replied Patty indignantly.

"What were you doing with my doll, then?"

"I didn't know it was yours. I didn't know it belonged to any one."

"Oh, you didn't," in sarcastic tones. "Perhaps you thought it grew
here like that there weed; you look green enough to think that."

Patty clenched her hands and bit her lip to keep from making
an answer which she knew would only aggravate matters. She drew
herself up and gave the girl a withering look, then she turned
to Marian. "Come, let us go," she said.

"Oh, you think you're very grand, don't you," said the girl
teasingly. "Well, you're not, and I can tell you we're not
going to let you off so easy. You've got to pay for the use
of our playhouse. I'll take this in pay," and she grabbed
Patty Wee from Marian.

"Oh, no, no," cried Marian in distress, "you can't have my doll."

"I can't, can't I? I'll show you whether I can." And the girl faced
Marian so threateningly that she shrank away.

Then Patty thought of a device. "You'd better not come too near us,"
she cried, "for we've got the whooping-cough," and indeed just then
by reason of the excitement she did have a paroxysm of coughing
which plainly showed that she spoke truly.

The girl backed away, and as soon as Patty had recovered, she
grasped Marian's hand and hurried her aw