against his
face.

"What _is_ the matter?" cried Alexia. "Oh, have you a toothache?"

"Worse than that," groaned Pickering behind his pillow.

"Oh, my goodness me!" exclaimed Alexia, tumbling back. "What can it be?"

"You haven't broken your jaw, Pick?" observed Clare. "I can't imagine
that."

"I'll break yours if you don't go," said Pickering savagely, and half
smothered, as he tried to keep the pillow well before the two pairs of
eyes.

This was a little difficult, as Clare, seeing hopes of running around
the pillow, set himself in motion to that end. But as Pickering whirled
as fast as he did, there was no great gain.

"Well, if I ever did!" exclaimed Alexia, quite aghast.

And the next moment Pickering, keeping a little opening at one end of
the pillow, saw his chance; darted out of the door, and flinging the
pillow the length of the hall, raced into his own room and slammed the
door, and they could hear him lock it.

"Well, if I ever did!" exclaimed Alexia again, and sinking into the
first chair, she raised both hands.

"What's got into the beggar?" cried Clare in perplexity, and looking out
into the hall, as if some help to the puzzle might be found there.

"Well, I guess you and I, Alexia, might as well go to Polly Pepper's,"
he said finally.

"And if I ever come after that boy again to tell him of anything nice
that's going to happen, I miss my guess," declared Alexia, getting
herself out of her chair, in high dudgeon. "Let's send Jasper after him;
he's the only one who can manage him," she cried, as they set forth.

"Good idea," said Clare.

But when Alexia told of their funny reception, Jasper first stared, then
burst out laughing. And although Alexia teased and teased, she got no
satisfaction.

"It's no use, Alexia," Jasper said, wiping his eyes, "you won't get me
to tell. So let's set about having some fun. What shall we do?"

"I don't want to do anything," pouted Alexia, "only to know what made
Pickering Dodge act in that funny way."

"And that's just what you won't know, Alexia," replied Jasper
composedly. "Well, Polly, you are going to put off toasting the
marshmallows, aren't you, till to-morrow night, when Pick can probably
come?"

"Oh, I wouldn't wait for him," Alexia burst out, quite exasperated,
"when he's acted so. And perhaps he'd come with an old sofa pillow
before his face, if you did."

"Oh, no, he won't, Alexia," said Jasper, going off into another laugh.
But although