So should I," said Polly and Rose, and "so should I," echoed Sprite.

Outside the garden wall eager ears were listening, and the ears
belonged to a little figure that crouched close by the gateway, just
out of sight of the three playmates, yet quite near enough to hear all
that had been said.

It was Gwen Harcourt.

She had been a bit too saucy to Max Deland, had called him a "sissy,"
and what boy would bear that? Max had returned the favor by calling
her a "Tom-boy," and then he had made a horrid face, and raced off up
the beach.

Then Gwen was sorry. She liked to play with Max, and while he could
run away, and laugh as he went, Gwen was ready to cry.

He was quite as fond of Gwen as she was of him, but he was a great
tease, and beside that, he liked to hear her calling to him to return.

It flattered his vanity.

"Come back, Max! Come _back_!" she had shouted.

"Max dear, I take it back. You're not a sissy. Max! Oh, Max, I'm
sorry!"

Max heard, but he chose to keep right on, and at last he reached the
Sherwood house, and pausing for breath near the gate, had overheard
the three friends talking about the boy who had run away from his home
at Cliffmore.

A few moments later he had chosen to enter, especially because he was
feeling rather cross with Gwen, and as Gwen was not at hand to quarrel
with, he entered the garden to sneer at what his playmates were
saying.

Gwen had followed him, and the time that he had spent in the garden
had given her the chance to catch up. Six little stone steps led down
from the garden to the beach, and Max ran down, pushed the gate wide,
and sprang out onto the hard white sand.

Gwen crouched at his left, but he shaded his eyes with his hand, and
looked to the right down the beach. She was pert and willful with all
the others, but with Max she was humble indeed.

"Max, here I am, and I'm sorry I teased you. Do be nice to me now,
won't you? I won't ever call you 'sissy' again."

"Guess you won't!" Max said, in anything but a pleasant tone. "I
wouldn't let you say it if I was here, but I've 'bout decided to run
away to sea!"

"Oh, Max, Max! I don't want you to, and just think! What would your
mother say?"

Gwen meant it rightly, but it did not please Max.

"There you go!" he cried. "That's the same as saying 'sissy' again. I
guess I can go where I want to. A man can do as he likes without
asking."

Again Gwen blundered.

"Oh, but Max, you're not a man. You're just