ashing eyes. "It is you that is the
shame!" she cried. "It is you who ought to be ashamed, Willy. Do you
want poor Phil to be all alone when Jerry is married? Do you know that
twins sometimes pine away and _die_, Willy Merryweather, when the other
of them dies?"

"Jerry isn't going to die," said Willy, uncomfortably. "What nonsense
you talk, Kitty."

"Well, marries. I should think very likely they would, then, if they
didn't get married themselves. I think you are perfectly heartless,
Willy. And dear Peggy, too, so nice and jolly! and if she goes away back
out West _without_ falling in love with Phil, we may never, never see
her again; and she has promised me a puppy of the very next litter
Simmerimmeris has. So there!"

Willy was silent for a moment, kicking the pebbles thoughtfully.

"Do you think she is--that?" he asked at length, shamefacedly.

"Of course I don't _know_!" said Kitty, judicially. "Of course very
likely nothing is positively decided yet; but I am sure she likes him
very, very much, and he takes her out whenever he has a chance."

"There's nobody else for him to take out," put in Willy; "the others are
all spoon--"

"Willy, don't be tiresome! and just think! if they should get married
and go to live out West, then you and I could both go out to see them,
and ride all the ponies, and punch the cows, and have real lassoes,
and--and--"

The children were coming home through the wood. Kitty's voice had
gradually risen, till now it was a shrill squeak of excitement; but at
this moment it broke off suddenly, for there was a rustling of branches,
and the next moment Gertrude stood before them with grave looks.

"My dear chicks," she said, "you must not talk so loud. I was in the
pine parlor, and could not help hearing the last part of what you were
saying. And anyhow, I would not talk about such things, if I were you.
Suppose Peggy had been with me! How do you think she would have felt?
Mammy would not like to have you gossiping in this foolish way."

The children hung their heads.

"Oh! Toots," said Kitty, "I am sorry! I didn't realize that we were
getting anywhere near the house. We were only thinking--at least I
was--how lovely it would be if Peggy and Phil should--"

"Kitty dear, hush!" said Gertrude, decidedly. "You would better not
think, and you certainly _must not_ talk, about anything of the kind.
There are enough real love-affairs to interest you, you little
match-maker, without your