t is a pretty
ornament to set on your dressing table, and I want you to let it remind
you of your promise not to play practical jokes."

"Oh, thank you, Grandma," said Marjorie, as she took the pretty trinket;
"I'm glad to have it, because it is so pretty. And I will remember my
promise, and somehow I feel sure I'm going to keep it."

"I think you will, dear, and now you may run away for the present, as I
am going to be busy."

Marjorie found King and Kitty in the billiard room, waiting for her.

"Well, you are the limit!" exclaimed King. "How did you ever dare cut up
that trick, Mops? You got out of it pretty lucky, but I trembled in my
boots at first. I don't see how you dared play a joke on Grandma Maynard
of all people!"

"Why didn't you tell us about it?" asked Kitty. "Oh, did she give you
that lovely powder-box?"

"Yes," laughed Marjorie, "as a reward for being naughty! And she's going
to reward me further. What do you think? She's going to take me to live
with her!"

"What!" cried King and Kitty, in the same breath. And then King grasped
Marjorie by the arm. "You shan't go!" he cried. "I won't let you!"

"I won't either!" cried Kitty, grasping her other arm. "Why, Mops, we
simply couldn't live without you!"

"I know it, you old goosey! And I couldn't live without you! The idea! As
if any of us four Maynards could get along without any of each other!"

"I just guess we couldn't!" exclaimed King, and then as far as the
children were concerned, the subject was dropped.

CHAPTER XV

A RIDE IN MAY

At the breakfast table, the next morning, Grandma Maynard announced her
intention of keeping her oldest grandchild with her as her own.

Marjorie's mother looked up with a frightened glance at this declaration,
and she turned her face appealingly toward her husband. But when she
saw the twinkle in his eye, she knew at once there was not the slightest
danger of her losing her oldest daughter in this way.

But, apparently by way of a joke, Mr. Maynard saw fit to pretend to
approve of his mother's plan.

"Why, Mother," he said, "wouldn't that be fine! This big house needs a
young person in it, and as we have four, we ought to be able to spare
one. You'll have grand times, Midget, living here, won't you?"

If Marjorie had not been so overcome at the very thought of leaving her
own family, she would have realized that her father was only joking; but
she had been so truly afraid that her grandmother's