t, sidling up to her beloved brother, and gazing into his face
in a sentimental manner, which had the effect of making him stride away
as fast as he could walk, muttering indignant protests beneath his
breath.

Then Esther came forward with her suggestion.

"I'll hold a book as if I were reading aloud, and you can all sit round
in easy, natural positions, and look as if you were listening. I think
that would make a charming picture."

"Idiotic, I call it! `Scene from the Goodchild family; mamma reading
aloud to the little ones.' Couldn't possibly look easy and natural
under the circumstances; should feel too miserable. Try again, my dear.
You must think of something better than that."

It was impossible to please those three fastidious boys. One suggestion
after another was made, only to be waved aside with lordly contempt,
until at last the girls gave up any say in the matter, and left Oswald
to arrange the group in a manner highly satisfactory to himself and his
two friends, however displeasing to the more artistic members of the
party. Three girls in front, two boys behind, all standing stiff as
pokers; with solemn faces, and hair ruffled by constant peepings beneath
the black cloth. Peggy in the middle, with her eyebrows more peaked
than ever, and an expression of resigned martyrdom on her small, pale
face; Mellicent, large and placid, on the left; Esther on the right,
scowling at nothing, and, over their shoulders, the two boys' heads,
handsome Max and frowning Robert.

"There," cried Oswald, "that's what I call a sensible arrangement! If
you take a photograph, _take_ a photograph, and don't try to do a
pastoral play at the same time. Keep still a moment, and I will see if
it is focused all right. I can see you pulling faces, Peggy! It's not
at all becoming. Now then, I'll put in the plate--that's the way!--
one--two--three--and I shall take you. Stea-dy?"

Instantly Mellicent burst into giggles of laughter, and threw up her
hands to her face, to be roughly seized from behind and shaken into
order.

"Be quiet, you silly thing! Didn't you hear him say steady? What are
you trying to do?"

"She has spoiled this plate, anyhow," said Oswald icily. "I'll try the
other, and if she can't keep still this time she had better run away and
laugh by herself at the other end of the garden. Baby!"

"Not a ba--" began Mellicent indignantly; but she was immediately
punched into order, and stood with her