answer to Betty's
inquiries; and Betty, following her slowly, was in time to see a blaze
leaping up, and a cloud of smoke and sparks. She quickened her steps,
for something interesting seemed to be happening. "Surely Anna isn't
trying to smoke out that wasps' nest," she thought in sudden alarm.
"She will be stung to death if she is," and Betty took to her heels to
try to stop her. But when she got past the rows of peas and beans that
had hidden Anna, she saw that what her cousin was poking up was not a
wasps' nest, but a heap that was blazing on the ground.

"What are you doing?" gasped Betty excitedly. "What a lovely fire!"

At the sound of a voice Anna spun round quickly, the very picture of
frightened guilt; but when she saw Betty her fear turned to anger, hot
and uncontrollable because she was frightened.

"You are always spying and prying after me," she cried passionately.
"Why can I never have a moment to myself? Other people can, and why
can't I?"

Poor Anna was hot and overdone, and her nerves were so much on edge that
she scarcely knew what she was doing or saying. But Betty had no
knowledge of nerves, and under this unfair accusation she could make no
allowance for her cousin, and her temper rose too.

"How dare you say I pry and spy! You know it is not true, Anna. I only
came to ask you to play with us, and--and how was I to know that you
were doing something that you didn't want any one to see? Why don't you
want any one to see you? What are you burning?" Betty stepped nearer
and looked more closely. "O Anna, it is your clothes that you are
burning. Oh, how did it happen? You didn't do it on purpose, did you?"

"It doesn't matter to you how it happened. If _you_ don't want to wear
things you hate, you just go and tell tales to your father. You can get
everything you want. But I haven't any one to stick up for me, and I've
_got_ to do things for myself."

"Then you set this on fire on purpose! Oh, how wicked; and they cost
such a lot too! I wonder you aren't afraid to be so wicked!" cried
Betty indignantly.

"I don't care," said Anna, trying to put on a bold front. "I never did
want the things, and I never shall. I should die if I went about much
longer a perfect mountain of clothes. How would you like to wear a
'hug-me-tight' under a serge coat in this weather?"

"Not at all. But what shall you say to Aunt Pike?"

"I shan't say anything; but I suppose you will," sneered Ann