chose, disconsolately running her
fingers through her gold-brown hair.

"I say, Kiddy," she called to Laura. "You know Latin, don't you? Just
give us a hand with this."--Latin had not been one of Evelyn's
subjects, and she was now employing some of her spare time in studying
the language with Mr. Strachey, who taught it after a fashion of his
own. "How on earth would you say: 'We had not however rid here so long,
but should have tided it up the river'? What's the old fool mean by
that?" and she pushed an open volume of ROBINSON CRUSOE towards Laura.

Laura helped to the best of her ability.

"Thanks awfully," said Evelyn. "You're a clever chickabiddy. But you
must let me help you with something in return. What's hardest?"

"Filling baths and papering rooms," replied Laura candidly.

"Arithmetic, eh? Well, if ever you want a sum done, come to me."

But Laura was temperamentally unable to accept so vague an invitation;
and here the matter closed.

When, consequently, Miss Chapman summoned her one evening to tell her
that she was to change her present bedroom for Evelyn's, the news came
as a great shock to her.

"Change my room?" she echoed, in slow disgust. "Oh, I can't, Miss
Chapman!"

"You've got to, Laura, if Mrs. Gurley says so," expostulated the kindly
governess.

"But I won't! There MUST be some mistake. Just when I'm so comfortably
settled, too.--Very well, then, Miss Chapman, I'll speak to Mrs. Gurley
myself."

She carried out this threat, and, for daring to question orders,
received the soundest snubbing she had had for many a long day.

That night she was very bitter about it all, and the more so because
Mary and Cupid did not, to her thinking, show sufficient sympathy.

"I believe you're both glad I'm going. It's a beastly shame. Why must I
always be odd man out?"

"Look here, Infant, don't adopt that tone, please," said Cupid
magisterially. "Or you'll make us glad in earnest. People who are
always up in arms about things are the greatest bores in the world."

So the following afternoon Laura wryly took up armfuls of her
belongings, mounted a storey higher, and deposited them on the second
bed in Evelyn's room.

The elder girl had had this room to herself for over a year now, and
Laura felt sure would be chafing inwardly at her intrusion. For days
she stole mousily in and out, avoiding the hours when Evelyn was there,
getting up earlier in the morning, hurrying into bed at night and
feeling