arther out of his corner; and when one very lively boy
came down so swiftly that he could not stop himself, but fell off the
banisters, with a crash that would have broken any head but one rendered
nearly as hard as a cannon-ball by eleven years of constant bumping, Nat
forgot himself, and ran up to the fallen rider, expecting to find him
half-dead. The boy, however, only winked rapidly for a second, then lay
calmly looking up at the new face with a surprised, "Hullo!"

"Hullo!" returned Nat, not knowing what else to say, and thinking that
form of reply both brief and easy.

"Are you a new boy?" asked the recumbent youth, without stirring.

"Don't know yet."

"What's your name?"

"Nat Blake."

"Mine's Tommy Bangs. Come up and have a go, will you?" and Tommy got
upon his legs like one suddenly remembering the duties of hospitality.

"Guess I won't, till I see whether I'm going to stay or not," returned
Nat, feeling the desire to stay increase every moment.

"I say, Demi, here's a new one. Come and see to him;" and the lively
Thomas returned to his sport with unabated relish.

At his call, the boy reading on the stairs looked up with a pair of big
brown eyes, and after an instant's pause, as if a little shy, he put the
book under his arm, and came soberly down to greet the new-comer, who
found something very attractive in the pleasant face of this slender,
mild-eyed boy.

"Have you seen Aunt Jo?" he asked, as if that was some sort of important
ceremony.

"I haven't seen anybody yet but you boys; I'm waiting," answered Nat.

"Did Uncle Laurie send you?" proceeded Demi, politely, but gravely.

"Mr. Laurence did."

"He is Uncle Laurie; and he always sends nice boys."

Nat looked gratified at the remark, and smiled, in a way that made his
thin face very pleasant. He did not know what to say next, so the two
stood staring at one another in friendly silence, till the little girl
came up with her doll in her arms. She was very like Demi, only not so
tall, and had a rounder, rosier face, and blue eyes.

"This is my sister, Daisy," announced Demi, as if presenting a rare and
precious creature.

The children nodded to one another; and the little girl's face dimpled
with pleasure, as she said affably:

"I hope you'll stay. We have such good times here; don't we, Demi?"

"Of course, we do: that's what Aunt Jo has Plumfield for."

"It seems a very nice place indeed," observed Nat, feeling that he must
respond