y. Her tiny fore-paws were so
irresistible in their appealing waving that Arethusa relented.

"But just this once, only," she warned, as she sat up and reached for
the stick.

Miss Johnson jumped about, with excitement at the highest tension; and
her mistress lifted that round bit of wood high above her head and
threw it with a swing which had far more grace than aim, and all the
force she could muster.

And it hit Timothy, stealing up quietly to surprise her, square between
the eyes.

"Suffering cats, Arethusa!"

Timothy grabbed Miss Johnson's plaything and continued its flight so
very far away that the poor little dog could not find it at all,
although she searched most diligently for it for a long, long time.

Arethusa almost jumped off the big stone into the Branch.

"Why don't you look where you're throwing things occasionally! You
nearly put my eyes out!" There was a fast growing red spot on his nose;
Timothy rubbed it ruefully.

"Served you quite right if I had! How could I know you were sneaking
there!" Then Arethusa turned her back to Timothy, and she turned it
with a movement of the greatest dignity. "I thought I told you last
night," she added, "not to come to see me any more, ever."

Timothy was silent for a moment.... "I didn't think you really meant
it," he said, miserably.

"Well, I did."

Arethusa's back looked decidedly inhospitable; there was an
uncompromising rigidity about the way she stared straight before her.
Even the long rope of red hair seemed to have become suddenly as stiff
as the rest of her. It was not an attitude in a hostess conductive to
easy conversation, or to make one's thoughts flow smoothly.

Miss Johnson flew about, hunting for her stick, every now and then
coming back to Timothy with frantic little questioning yelps; but
Timothy, ordinarily such a friend of hers, paid no sort of attention.
He had eyes only for Arethusa. It was hard for Miss Johnson to
understand.

Finally, Timothy flung himself down on the ground at the side of the
big stone. "Do you mind if I stay, Arethusa?"

"Suit yourself," she replied, indifferently. "It's not on my land. But
it seems to me you have an awful lot of time to loaf around for anybody
who calls himself a farmer." There was scorn in Arethusa's tone.

"I came over here just especially to tell you I was sorry. I saw you
from the hemp-field and came."

"You better go on back to the hemp-field then," said Arethusa, "now
that you'v