t as they were ready to start--and Evelyn Leland
is with them; she's to make her home at Fairview."

"Well, and what of it? what do _I_ care about it? or you either?"

"Dear me, Max, you might care! I hope she may prove a nice friend for me;
not a bit like Rosie, who has always despised and disliked me."

"I don't think Rosie does anything of the kind, Lulu," said Max, patting
Nero's head; "she may not be very fond of you, and certainly does not
admire your behavior at times, but I don't believe it amounts to
dislike."

"I do, then," returned Lulu, a touch of anger in her tones. "Anyhow, I'd
dearly love to have a real friend near my own age; and Aunt Elsie says
Evelyn is only a little older than I am."

"Well, I hope you won't be disappointed. If she was a boy I'd be as glad
of her coming, or his coming, as you are."

"Oh, Maxie, I wish, for your sake, she was a boy!" cried Lulu in her
impulsive way, stepping closer and putting her arm about his neck. "How
selfish in me to forget that you have no companion at all at Ion!"

"I have," returned Max; "I have you, you know, and you're right good
company when you are in a good humor."

"And I'm not often in any other with you, Maxie; now am I?" she said
coaxingly.

"No, sis, that's true enough, and I do believe I couldn't get
along half so well without you. I'm glad for your sake that
this--what's-her-name?--is coming."

"Her name is Evelyn. Oh, Max, I feel so sorry for her!"

"Why?"

"Because her father's dead, and they were so very, very fond of each
other; so Aunt Elsie wrote."

"Rosie's father's dead too; and she and all of them were very fond of
him."

"Yes; but it's a good while now since he died, and she's had time to get
over it so far that she seems hardly ever to think of him; while it is
only a few weeks since Evelyn lost hers; and Rosie has her nice, kind
mother with her, while Evelyn's is away in Europe, and like enough isn't
half so nice as Grandma Elsie anyhow. Oh, Max, I feel most heart-broken
every time papa goes away, even though I expect to see him back again
some day; and think how dreadful to have your father gone never to come
back!"

"Yes, it would be awful!" said Max. "I'd rather lose ten years off my own
life. But, Lu, if you really love papa so dearly, how can you behave
toward him as you do sometimes--causing him so much distress of mind?
I've seen such a grieved, troubled look on his face, when he thought
nobody was watching him