'How is Nina?' Jerrie asked, ignoring the compliment.

'Brisk as a bee,' Dick replied, 'and sends an invitation for you to come
over to a garden-tea to-night to meet Marian Raymond, Fred's sister.
Awful pretty girl, with an accent like a foreigner; was over there
several years, you know. I was going to the Park House to invite you and
Maude,' he continued, turning to Tom, 'but as you are here, it will save
me the walk. Half-past five sharp.'

Then as his eye fell upon Billy, in whose face there was a look of
expectancy, his countenance fell, for Nina had given him no instructions
to invite the Peterkins, and he felt intuitively that there was nothing
in common between Ann Eliza Peterkin and the refined and aristocratic
Marian Raymond, who had seen the best society in Europe, and in whose
veins some of Kentucky's bluest blood was flowing. But Dick was very
kind-hearted, and never knowingly wounded the feelings of any one if he
could help it; and, after an awkward moment, during which he was
wondering what Nina would do to him if he did it, he turned to Billy and
said, as naturally as if it were what he had been expressly bidden to
say:

'Why, I shan't have to walk over to Le Bateau either. I'm in luck this
hot morning, if you will take the invitation to your sister--for
half-past five.'

'Th-thanks,' Billy began; 'b-but am I left out?'

'Of course not. I'm an awful blunderer,' Dick said, adding, mentally,
'and liar, too, though I didn't say anybody would be happy to see them.
Poor Billy, he is well enough, and so is Ann Eliza, if she wouldn't pile
that red hair so high on the top of her head and wear so much jewelry.
Well, I am in for it, and Nina can't any more than kill me.'

By this time Jerrie was bustling about, putting away the washing
paraphernalia and sweeping the wood-shed, thus indicating that she had
no more time to lose with her three callers, two of whom Dick and Billy,
took the hint and left, but not until she had explained to the former
that it would be impossible for Harold to be present at the
garden-party, as she knew he would not be home until late, and would
then be quite too tired for company.

'I am sorry that he cannot join us. I counted upon him,' Dick said. 'But
you will come, of course, and I offer my services on the spot to see you
home. Do you accept them?'

Jerrie seemed to see, without looking, the disappointment in Billy's
face, and the wrath in Tom's; but as she greatly preferred