hen the children
came out she should see them too, she thought, but she need not join
them unless she liked. For some time the garden was very quiet, and she
began to think that perhaps they meant to play indoors. That was not at
all like Jackie, who always liked a game with a good deal of running in
it, and besides, he _must_ want to know where she was. It was rather
dull, after all, to sit there alone, while the others were enjoying
themselves. Should she go a little nearer the house? Just as she
thought this, she was startled by a distinct cry of "Whoop!" which
seemed to come from the walk below. She peeped down through the leaves.
There was Jackie crouching in a frog-like attitude behind a tree, with
his limbs gathered into the smallest possible compass. The rustling
made him look up, and he held out his hand with all the fingers
outstretched, and a sudden grimace which meant "Don't speak." They were
playing hide-and-seek.

Mary knew better than to spoil the game, but she gave a beseeching
glance at him, and beckoned. Jackie shook his head; evidently his
feelings were hurt, and he did not mean to be friends just yet. Mary
was in despair. How could she manage to speak to him? Perhaps this was
her only chance of doing so alone. From her perch she could see the
pursuers scouring wildly about in a wrong direction at present, but soon
they could not fail to search the nut-walk, and then it would be too
late. She took the little clog from her pocket, cautiously descended
the tree, and creeping up to Jackie, placed the parcel noiselessly at
his side. It was neatly folded in white paper, and had his name written
on it in elegant fancy letters. Jackie turned his head and saw the
inscription:

"For Jackie, with Mary's love."

His screwed-up mouth widened into a grin, he picked it up, turned it
round and round, and at last whispered hoarsely:

"Why didn't you give it before?"

"Because of Fraulein," answered Mary in the same tone; "they're a long
way off. Come up into the tree."

Both children were soon tightly wedged into the nut-tree seat, and
Jackie at once began to examine his package; watching his face, Mary
could see that he was surprised when the clog appeared, though he tried
to hide it by another grin.

"Thank you," he whispered.

"It's the only thing I had," explained Mary hurriedly. "I meant to give
you _such_ a nice thing. I saved my money, and I had enough. You
_would_ have liked it