to climb
trees?" he asked.

"I just love to," said Peggy.

They were coming to the stone wall that enclosed the Thornton place.
Peggy climbed up and began to walk across it. At one end was a pine
tree, with convenient branches that she had often longed to climb. It
looked very tall and symmetrical with its spreading green branches
against the heavenly blue of the sky.

She could never quite remember whether it was she or Christopher who
first suggested climbing the tree. But they hid their baskets on the
other side of the wall, and presently she and Christopher were climbing
quickly from branch to branch. Peggy had never had a more blissful time.
She had often envied Lady Jane her power to scramble up trees with no
mother at hand to tell her to come down, or to warn her against spoiling
her frock. But now she envied nobody. It was too wonderful to be sitting
in the topmost branches of that pine tree. But the thought of Lady
Jane's furry garment made her look down at her less substantial frock,
and, to her dismay, she saw a long streak on it. She put her hand down
and it felt sticky.

"Oh, dear," she said, "I've got some of the pitch from the pine all over
my dress! Oh, dear, what will mother say? She told me to be sure not to
stop on the way, and not to talk to any strange children."

"I'm not a strange child," said Christopher. "She wouldn't mind your
talking to me."

"Yes, but I have stopped on the way. I'll have to hurry," she said.
"But, oh, dear, I'm afraid my dress is spoiled! Oh, what will mother
say? I've only worn it one other time, and she's only got one more of
these blue frocks finished."

"Only one more! How many are you going to have?"

"Four," said Peggy. She glanced up at him, and he looked as if he, too,
would be hard on his clothes and would have some sympathy for her, so
she added: "You see, it doesn't tear easily. The man in the shop said it
was as strong as nails. I am always spoiling my things."

He looked down at the long smear with genuine concern. "If I hadn't come
along it wouldn't have happened," he said. "I'll take you round to Aunt
Betsy's. She's got stuff that takes out all kinds of spots. She's got
them out for me."

"Is your Aunt Betsy the same as Clara's Aunt Betsy?" Peggy asked.

"My Aunt Betsy is father's aunt," he said. "That's the reason we came
here to live. She told us your house was going to be sold and there
wasn't any good doctor here any more."

They turned down