heel with an airy grace that the other girls might have practiced for in
vain. "I wouldn't want to live; it would be dreadful, Bea," falling into
an attitude with the sunshine over her, "wouldn't I do well on the
stage? I know I was born for it; now look here, and see if I don't do as
Miss Neilson did. Just suppose this ring of sunshine is a balcony and
I'm in white, with such lovely jewels in my hair and all that:

"Romeo, Romeo! wherefore art thou Romeo?"--

and away went Ernestine with a tragically pathetic energy that made Bea
watch and listen, in spite of the disapproving laugh on her lips.

"Don't I do it well?" Ernestine asked complacently, after she had gone
through the entire balcony scene, with great success in the management
of two characters.

"Yes, you do; how can you?" asked Bea, won from disapproval by wondering
admiration.

"Easiest in the world. I've been through it ever so many times since
papa took us to the city to see her. Oh, Bea! how happy she must be! I'd
give worlds and worlds to be in her place," cried Ernestine, with
longing energy, and pacing restlessly up and down the grass. "I wonder
if I ever can."

"Indeed!" said Bea with decision. "The idea! what would papa and mama
say; you, Ernestine Dering, parading out on a stage before crowds of
people, and flying around like she did. Mercy on us!"

"I'd do it in a minute, and if I can't now, I will sometime anyhow,"
Ernestine exclaimed with emphasis. "I wasn't born to be smuggled up in
this little musty town all my life and I won't, either. Some day I'll do
something desperate; you see if I don't."

"Well, I do declare!" said Bea slowly, having never witnessed quite such
an energetic ending to Ernestine's spells of restless dissatisfaction.
"What talk! I think you'd better sit down and cool off now. Where are
Olive and Jean?"

"Olive is sketching out on the roof, and crosser than thirteen sticks.
Jean is asleep on the porch, and mama is out showing Huldah how to make
cream puffings."

"Dear me," said Bea, by way of answer and looking up with a slight
pucker to her smooth forehead, "Just look at those girls; I never saw
the like."

Ernestine looked up, to catch a glimpse of two flying figures just
clearing the fence, and come dashing across the grass like unruly
arrows, to throw themselves under the shade of the beech, with a supreme
disregard for flesh and bones.

"Goodness gracious!" gasped Kittie.

"Gracious goodness!" pante