them hip and thigh, even to the
going down of the sun; or would have, if the day had been shorter. Phil
made three runs, Will."

"Jerry made three more Will," said Phil; "and pitched like one o'clock,
I tell you. I never saw you play better, Obadiah. Those last balls were
perfect peaches. I wish you had seen the game, Margaret."

"So do I," said Margaret. "I have never seen a game of baseball."

"Oh! I say!" cried Phil and Willy. "What a shame!"

"Where do you live?" asked Willy, in such open wonder and commiseration
that the others all laughed.

"She lives in an enchanted castle, Willy," said Gerald; "with a magician
who keeps her in chains--of roses and pearls. He has two attendant
spirits who help to keep her in durance that is not precisely vile. How
is Mrs. Cook, Margaret? Do you know, you have hardly told me anything
about Fernley all this time? I want to know ever so many things. What
became of the pretty lady whose house was burned? Do you remember that?
I never shall forget it as long as I live."

"Indeed, I do!" said Margaret, blushing. "She is still abroad, Gerald. I
doubt if she ever returns, or at least not for a long time. She is well,
and really happy, I think. Isn't it wonderful?"

"You didn't see Miss Wolfe come down the ladder!" said Gerald. "That was
the most wonderful thing I ever saw. Just as she stepped out on the
window-sill, the fire caught the hem of her skirt. I thought she was
gone that time. I was just going to drop you and run, when she stooped
and squeezed the skirts together--woollen skirts, fortunately--and put
it out; and then came swinging down that rope to the ladder, and down
the ladder to the ground, as if she had been born in a circus. I tell
you, that was something to see. Pity you missed it."

"Why did she miss it?" asked Willy. "And what do you mean by dropping
her, Jerry?"

Gerald, whose eyes were shining with the excitement of recollection,
turned and looked down at his small brother as if suddenly recalling his
existence.

"Margaret was--busy!" he said, briefly. "And, I say, Father William,
don't you want to take my biky down and give him a feed of oats? he is
hungry. See him paw the ground!" and he gave the bicycle a twirl.

"I must go," said Phil, remounting his own. "Come along, Willy, and I'll
race you to Camp."

But for once Willy held back. "I was going to take Margaret to see a
redwing's nest," he said. "I promised her I would."

"Oh! Margaret will excus