gh strange to say the incident was
a most fortunate happening, as far as Tavia and Dorothy were
concerned--it told them the kind of girl Viola was. Alice, seeing the
slight, winked slyly at Tavia, who, after flushing furiously, managed
to return the secret sign of Alice by snapping her own brown eye open
and shut.

"I simply thought I should die," began Alice, anxious to start
conversation. "When I saw you step out of that wagon last night.
Viola and I were just down to the post-office and when the crowd
gathered of course, we had to see what was going on. Well, when I saw
Tavia--"

A burst of laughter stopped Alice. She had a way of seeing humor in
things and of enjoying the process of extracting it. Tavia joined her
in the merriment, but Viola sat there with a curled lip. Dorothy was
not laughing either--she was observing the stranger.

"Wasn't it great!" exclaimed Tavia. "I wish you could have been along.
Dorothy was scared to death, but the very idea of any one being afraid
while surrounded by four strapping policemen!"

"And when your cousin came into the post-office to send his
telegram--to his mother, wasn't it? And we beheld--a dude in overalls
and jumper!" and Alice laughed again. "Really," she continued,
finally, "I thought I should pass away!"

"Was that your cousin?" asked Viola unpleasantly.

"Why, Ola," exclaimed Alice, the ring of something like anger in her
voice, "I certainly told you the young man was Mr. Nat White from North
Birchland, Dorothy's cousin."

"Oh," sniffed the other. "I am sure I thought you said he was Tavia's
cousin."

"That's good," chimed in Tavia. "Wish he was; he would make all kinds
of nice cousins, for he is the dandiest boy--"

"So!" almost sneered Viola.

"Yes, that's so," declared Tavia, with a challenging look at the
stranger.

"Viola thinks nice boys should not be cousins," remarked Alice, trying
to patch up the squabble. But Dorothy had risen from her seat and was
toying with the honeysuckle. Evidently she had no intention of joining
in the unpleasant argument.

"I declare, Doro," said Alice suddenly. "I have scarcely heard your
voice to-day. And all the stories that I have been contradicting about
you. That you were hurt in an auto accident; that your chauffeur was
arrested for speeding and you were obliged to go to police court to
make a statement; that some lunatic chased you, and you had to get in
the wagon to save your life--Oh! I tell