a boy, and I wish you
wouldn't talk as if you meant to go 'way off somewhere."

Just a boy! That was aggravating. Max felt sure that in a moment more
she would call him a _little_ boy, and that would indeed be too much
for any boy to ever overlook.

Gwen laid her hand on his arm, intending to coax him to stay, but Max
was too angry to be easily pacified.

"See here!" he cried, roughly brushing her hand from his arm. "You
heard me say I'd _'bout_ decided to run away to sea, but you don't
_know_ whether I will or not, so look out and not be a tell-tale, for
if I do go, and ever come back, and find out you told, I'd never speak
to you!"

Before Gwen could get over her surprise, and grasp the meaning of what
he had said, he was off at top speed down the beach.

She started to follow, but he turned and shouted: "Don't you dare to
tag on!"

Poor Gwen! Max was the only playmate with whom she had ever been
gentle. She had treated him far better than she had ever treated the
girls at Avondale, or the new acquaintances at Cliffmore, and now he
was going to run away, and she was not to ever mention it!

She reached home very tired, and also very unhappy.

At lunch she refused to eat, but that was not unusual. She often did
that to attract the attention of the other boarders.

As usual Mrs. Harcourt commenced to fuss, and to question her.

"What is it, dear?" she asked.

"Is there nothing that looks tempting?"

Then glancing at those who sat opposite, she said: "Gwen's appetite is
so very dainty and capricious, she rarely cares for what is served
here."

The guests were a bit tired of that speech, as they had heard it at
every meal during the Summer.

"You're too tired to eat, darling," Mrs. Harcourt said. "Did you play
too hard with Max this morning?"

At the mention of Max, Gwen burst into tears, and ran from the table,
dropping her napkin on the floor, and walking upon it in her flight.

Mrs. Harcourt was really alarmed. She wondered what Max had done to so
upset Gwen. Perhaps he had struck her. He had a terrible disposition,
while Gwen had the temperament of an angel. So thought Mrs. Harcourt
as she left the dining room, her own lunch untasted, to follow Gwen,
and coax from her the reason for her distress.

The cause of any disturbance that led Gwen to shed tears was
attributed to the outrageous temper of the other child, or children,
as the case happened to be, and Mrs. Harcourt never dreamed that
someti