. Clifford said grace.

"Hollis," whispered Katie immediately afterwards, "will I take my
mouses?"

"'Sh, Topknot!"

"What's going on there between you and Horace?" laughed Grace.

"A _secrid_," said Fly, nipping her little lips together. "You won't get
me to tell."

"Horace," exclaimed Mrs. Clifford, "you haven't--"

"Why, mother, I thought it was all settled, and wouldn't do any harm;
and it pleases her so!"

"Well, my son, you've made a hard day's work for me," said Mrs.
Clifford, smiling behind her coffee-cup, as eager little Katie swayed
back and forth in her high chair.

"You won't get me to tell, Gracie Clifford. She don't want nobody but
Hollis and me; she thinks we're very 'cute."

"Who? O, Aunt Louise, probably."

"No, aunt Louise never! It's the auntie that lives to New York."

"Sh, Topknot!"

"Well, I didn't tell, Hollis Clifford!"

"So you didn't," said Grace. "But wouldn't it be nice if somebody should
ask you to go somewhere to spend Christmas?"

"Well, _there is_!"

"O, Topknot," cried Horace, in mock distress, "you said you could keep
a secret."

Flyaway looked frightened.

"What'd I do?" cried she; "I didn't tell nuffin 'bout the letter!"

This last speech set everybody to laughing; and the little tell-tale
looked around from one to another with a face full of innocent wonder.
They couldn't be laughing at _her_!

"I can keep secrids," said she, with dignity. "It was what I was
a-doin'."

"It is your brother Horace who cannot be trusted to keep secrets," said
Mrs. Clifford, taking a letter from her pocket. "Hear, now, what your
Aunt Madge has written: 'Will you lend me your children for the
holidays, Maria? I want all three; at any rate, two.'"

"That's me," cried Flyaway, tipping over her white coffee; "'_tenny
rate two_,' means me."

"Don't interrupt me, dear. 'Brother Edward has promised me Prudy and
Dotty Dimple. They may have a Santa Claus, or whatever they like. I
shall devote myself to making them happy, and I am sure there are plenty
of things in New York to amuse them. Horace must come without fail; for
the little girl-cousins always depend so much upon him.'"

A smile rose to Horace's mouth; but he rubbed it off with his napkin. It
was his boast that he was above being flattered.

"But why not have Grace go, too, to keep them steady?" said Mr.
Clifford, bluntly.

Horace applied himself to his buckwheat cakes in silence, and looked
rather gloomy.

"Why, I su