d.

"What a funny room," exclaimed Esther, with a little giggle. "Our
sitting-room has beautiful paper on the walls, and we have pictures,
and a fine carpet on the floor. What are you going to tell your mother
about that maple syrup?" she concluded sharply.

"I don't know," responded Faith.

"Well, don't tell her anything," suggested Esther.

"I guess that I shall have to tell her," said Faith.

"You mean about me? That I teased you to make candy? Well, if you do
that I'll get my father to take me home with him instead of staying
until he comes next month," declared Esther.

"I shan't tell anything about you," answered Faith.

Esther looked at her a little doubtfully.

"Of course I shan't," repeated Faith. "You are my company. No matter
what you did I wouldn't talk about it. Why, even the Indians treat
visitors politely, and give them the best they have, and that's what I
shall do," and Faith stood very straight and looked at Esther very
seriously.

"Truly? Truly? What is the 'best' you have? And when will you give it
to me?" demanded Esther, coming close to her and clasping her arm. "Is
it beads? Oh! I do hope it is beads! And you can't back out after what
you have said," and Esther jumped up and down in delight at the
thought of a possible string of fine beads.

For a moment it seemed as if Faith would burst into tears. She had
meant to tell Esther that she would do her best to be kind and polite
to her because Esther was a guest, and now Esther was demanding that
Faith should do exactly as she had promised and give her "the best she
had." And it happened that Faith's dearest possession was a string of
fine beads. Aunt Priscilla Scott, who lived in Ticonderoga, had
brought them as a gift on her last visit. They were beautiful blue
beads,--like the sky on a June day,--and Faith wore them only on
Sundays. They were in a pretty little wooden box in the sitting-room
closet.

Suddenly Esther let go of Faith's arm. "I knew you didn't mean it,"
she said scornfully.

Faith made no reply. She walked across the room and pushed a brass
knob set in one of the panels. The panel opened, and there was a
closet. The little wooden box that held the beads was on the middle
shelf. Faith took it up, closed the door, and turned toward Esther.

"Here! This is the best thing I have in all the world, the prettiest
and the dearest. And it is beads. Take them," and she thrust the box
into Esther's eager hands and ran out of th