ully. "I've had pieces with
worse lines than that. 'The imprint of a dainty foot,' for instance.
When you say, 'The wind went drifting o'er the lea,' you must kind of
let your voice glide along, very rhythmically, very--"

"Windily," suggested Connie, who remained to witness the exhibition.

"You keep still, Constance Starr, or you can get out of here! It's no
laughing matter I can tell you, and you have to keep out or I won't help
and then--"

"I'll keep still. But it ought to be windily you know, since it's the
wind. I meant it for a joke," she informed them. The twins had a very
disheartening way of failing to recognize Connie's jokes--it took the
life out of them.

"Now read it aloud, Lark, so I can see if you get the proper
expression," Carol continued, when Connie was utterly subdued.

Lark obediently but unhappily read the quaint poem aloud and Carol said
it was very good. "You must read it aloud often, very often. That'll
give you a better idea of the accent. Now put it away, and don't look at
it again to-night. If you keep it up too long you'll get so dead sick of
it you can't speak it at all."

For two entire weeks, the twins were changed creatures. Lark read the
"blooming piece" avidly, repeatedly and with bitter hate. Carol stood
grimly by, listening intently, offering curt apt criticisms. Finally,
Lark "knew it," and the rest of the time was spent in practising before
the mirror,--to see if she kept her face pleasant.

"For the face has a whole lot to do with it, my dear," said Carol
sagely, "though the critics would never admit it."

By the evening of the Sunday-school concert--they were concerting for
the sake of a hundred-dollar subscription to church repairs--Lark had
mastered her recitation so perfectly that the minds of the parsonage
were nearly at peace. She still felt a deep resentment toward the
situation, but this was partially counterbalanced by the satisfaction of
seeing her name in print, directly beneath Carol's on the program.

"Recitation_______________Miss Carol Starr.
Recitation_______________Miss Lark Starr."

It looked very well indeed, and the whole family took a proper interest
in it. No one gave Carol's recitation a second thought. She always
recited, and did it easily and well. It was quite a commonplace
occurrence for her.

On the night of the concert she superintended Lark's dressing with
maternal care. "You look all right," she said, "just fine. N