nfeeling remarks, knowing they meant nothing,
for Preston was an extremely kind-hearted boy. He had a few faults, of
course, and one of them was a strong dislike for doing errands. He was
on his way now to recite a Latin lesson to his kind teacher, Mr.
Garland; and, as usual, the twin cousins were close at his heels,
skipping and dancing, for they never could walk when they felt truly
gay.

"Where are you going?" asked Preston, looking back through his
spectacles.

"Going up on the bank to play 'Uncle Tom.' Blanche Jones and Fanny
Townsend and everybody else is going, and 'twill be just splendid,"
replied Flaxie, as Preston walked up to Mrs. Proudfit's door to deliver
the jelly.

There were four children playing in the sand this time, and one of them
was Patty. The twin cousins thought they would go by them without
turning their heads, but Patty called out, "Where are you running to in
such a hurry?"

"Oh, we're going up to play on the bank there somewhere," replied
Flaxie, trying to shake off the baby, who had been eating candy and was
pulling at her frock with his sticky fingers.

"Up on the bank? Well, I'm agoin' too," said that black-eyed,
disagreeable Patty.

And without waiting to see whether she was wanted or not, she followed
along with her two dirty sisters; and behind them toddled the baby!

Preston marched on in front, looking very much amused; but Flaxie's face
was quite red. She pinched Milly's arm, and then Milly pinched hers. It
was a strange way to go to a party--_the_ party of the season; and
Flaxie had a great mind to run home; only her mother had charged her
again and again not to be rude; so she said in a very calm, polite
manner:

"Patty, don't you think 'twould be a good plan for you to go in the
house and see Jimmy? He's sick."

Patty only laughed, and the four children scuffled along just the same
behind Flaxie and Milly, making the dirt fly with their bare toes.

Oh, it was all very well for Preston to whistle! It didn't trouble
_him_, of course, for _he_ wasn't going to the party! He stopped in a
few minutes at Mr. Garland's beautiful brown house with the green vines
around it, and made a low bow as he said "Good-bye."

Flaxie scowled. What would Fanny Townsend and Blanche Jones and all the
other nice girls say to see her bringing along such a train of dirty
gypsies? She and Milly kept close together, never turning their heads
till they came to the place "on the bank up there som