never come again."

"Nice hospitable lot of kids! And do the Benjamins stand for this?"

"They don't know about it; it's a secret."

"They can see, can't they? A blind man could have seen their outrageous
manners," he remarked, hotly.

"Parents have outrageous manners, too, you know, and we have to put up
with them"--calmly.

"Well, I'm----"

"Don't swear, Wally; Quakers don't like it."

"I never heard such nerve in my life! Lot of kids setting themselves
up----"

"Try to put yourself in our place, Wally. When you were at school, did
you long to have your mother visit you?"

"That was different----"

"No, that was the same," she said, finally. "I tried to save you, but
you would come back. I've enjoyed your visit very much, but it's against
our rules to act kindly to visiting parents, and if I do I'll be
expelled."

"I suppose you'd like me to leave to-night?"--sarcastically.

"No, but get off as soon as you can in the morning, and let me manage
things to-night."

The Benjamins joined them at this point, so conversation became general.
Isabelle withdrew into her own mind, to think ahead how to avert the
next crisis. When the girls came down for the hour of relaxation, there
would be more embarrassment, unless she could manage. She strolled to
the window and looked out.

There was a brilliant full moon, showering its largesse over the hills.
They looked so calm, so remote--why did humans introduce such problems
into the scheme of things? questioned Isabelle precociously. But the
view gave her an idea.

"Mrs. Benjamin," she cried, "might we have a moonlight tramp and show my
father some of our walks?"

"Would thy father like that? We often go for a walk in the moonlight,
Mr. Bryce. The girls like it before they go to bed. Would thee enjoy
it?"

Isabelle fixed him with a stern eye, and nodded.

"Why, yes, I think that would be nice," said Wally, who hated walking.

When the girls came down they silently accepted the plan. They put on
their sweaters and boots, as the spring was young and the ground soft.
Mrs. Benjamin marvelled at their restraint, but laid it to their
commendable desire to appear well before their guest. Two by two they
marched dumbly behind the Benjamins and the Bryces. Up hill and down
they went. Isabelle felt their eyes like javelins in her back, even
while she kept up a lively stream of conversation.

"Girls, thee need not walk in line," protested Mrs. Benjamin. "Show thy
fa