k fine, didn't she? But I'm afraid she's done it now. Aunt
will clear out soon enough, I should think, and Barbe will just be as
sorry as can be to have flared out like that at a guest, and father's
sister too."

In that last supposition Donald was quite right, for Mrs. Britton
needed to say nothing to make Barbara feel very much ashamed of
herself. But in his conclusion about his aunt he was quite wrong, for,
to the children's astonishment, Miss Britton showed no signs of speedy
departure. Indeed, later in the day, the children felt honesty
demanded they must own her to be "rather a brick," for she accepted
Barbara's apology with good grace, and said that though, of course, she
had been rude, she would not deny that there had been some provocation,
and that if Barbara could find out anything more from Dick, she would
be glad to hear of it.

It was then, after much manoeuvring, that the girl got to the truth of
the matter, which Dick related with tears. He had taken the buttons
for mother, he said. When he was out with her the other day they had
looked for quite a long time at some beautiful silver ones, and when he
asked his mother why she did not buy them, she had said she had not
enough money just then. They were very like the kind on Aunt Anne's
blouse, and having noticed that she did not use half of them to button
it up, Dick had not seen any reason why they should be left
on--although he had meant to tell her what he had done immediately
after breakfast.

Miss Britton accepted the explanation, and said she thought there was
no need for the culprit to be punished this time, and she hoped he
would have more sense soon. But about Barbara she had something of
more importance to communicate.

"In my opinion," she said, in a manner that inferred she expected her
advice to be taken, "the girl is much too young to have finished her
education--boys or no boys--and I am thinking of sending her to France
for a time, to learn more of the language and see something of the
world. It is not good for a girl of her age to have so much
responsibility."

Now, it had been Barbara's dream to go abroad, but after the first gasp
of delight and astonishment she grew grave, and said she was afraid she
could not leave her mother and the children.

"Fiddlesticks!" Aunt Anne replied, without allowing Mrs. Britton time
to speak. "You are far too young, my dear, to imagine yourself of such
importance in the world. I will sen