ave been unusual, too, for she taught
Tania all sorts of poetry and music when Tania was only a tiny child.
Indeed, Tania knows a great deal more about literature than I do now,"
confessed Madge honestly. "It isn't so strange, after all, that Tania
pretends. Why, she and her mother used to play at pretending together.
When they sat down to their dinner they used to rub their old lamp and
play that it was Aladdin's wonderful lamp, and that their poor table was
spread with a wonderful feast, instead of just bread and cheese. They
tried to make light of their poverty."

Mrs. Curtis's eyes were full of tears. She could understand better than
Madge the scene the young girl pictured.

"Tania was eight years old when her mother died," finished Madge
pensively. "Since then poor Tania has had such a dreadful time, living
with that wretched old Sal, who has made a regular slavey of her, and she
just had to go on with her pretending in order to be able to bear her
life at all."

Madge and Mrs. Curtis were both silent for a moment. The bright June
sunshine flooded the room, offering a sharp contrast to Tania's sad
little story.

"You see why I wish to take her on the houseboat," pleaded Madge. "It
seems so wonderful that we are going to Cape May and will be on the
really seashore, near you and Tom, that each one of us feels the desire
to do something for somebody just to show how happy we are. Miss Jenny
Ann says we may take Tania, if you think it wouldn't be unwise."

"She ought to go to school, Madge," argued Mrs. Curtis half-heartedly.
"Tania does not know any of the things she should. Philip Holt, who does
so much good work among the poor in Tania's tenement district, says that
the child is most unreliable and does not tell the truth."

Madge wrinkled her nose with the familiar expression she wore when
annoyed. Her investigations had proved Philip Holt a liar, but she
refrained from saying so.

"You don't like Philip, do you?" continued Mrs. Curtis. "It isn't fair to
have prejudices without reason. Mr. Holt is a fine young man and does
splendid work among the poor. Madeleine and I have entrusted him with the
most of the money we have given to charity. I am sorry that you girls
don't like him, because he is coming to visit me at Cape May this
summer."

Madge dutifully stifled her vague feeling of regret. "Of course, we will
try to like him, if he is your friend," she replied loyally. "It was only
that we thought Mr. Ho