y. "I saw him go by and I
wanted to run out and ask him about you, but I was afraid to"--

"Afraid of papa? What a funny thing! You never would be if you really
knew him," exclaimed Betty, with delighted assurance. She laughed
heartily and stopped to lean against a stone wall, and gave Mary Beck a
little push which was meant to express a great deal of affection and
amusement. Then she forgot everything in looking at the beautiful view
across the farms and the river and toward the great hills and mountains
beyond.

"I knew you would think it was pretty here," said Mary. "I have always
thought that when you came back I would bring you here first. I liked to
call this our tree," she said shyly, looking up into the great oak
branches. "It seems so strange to be here with you, at last, after all
the times I have thought about it"--

Betty was touched by this bit of real sentiment. She was thankful from
that moment that she was going to spend most of the summer in Tideshead.
Here was the best of good things,--a real friend, who had been waiting
for her all the time.

V.

AT BECKY'S HOUSE.

WHEN the happy Becky flew in to free herself from her Sunday clothes she
did not meet either member of her family, but on her return from the
walk she found her mother grimly getting the supper ready.

"Oh, I have had such a lovely time," cried Becky, brimful of the
pleasure of Betty's return. "She is just the same as she used to be,
exactly; only grown like everything. And I saw Miss Barbara Leicester,
and she was lovely and asked me to stay to tea, and Betty did too, but I
didn't know whether you would like it."

"I am going to have her come and take tea with us as soon as I can, but
I don't see how to manage it this week," said Mrs. Beck complainingly.
"I have so much to do every day that I dread having company. What made
you put on that spotted old dress? I don't know what she could have
thought, I'm sure. If you wanted to take off your best one, why didn't
you put on your satine?"

"Oh, I don't know, mother!" answered Becky fretfully. "Betty had on a
gingham dress, and she said I couldn't get over the fences in my best
one, and I didn't think it made any difference."

"Well, no matter," said Mrs. Beck sighing, "they saw you dressed up
decently at first. I think you girls are too old to climb fences and be
tomboys, for my part. When I was growing up, young ladies were expected
to interest themselves in things at hom