w up in those parts. Is that true?"

"Not quite," said Cynthia.

Not quite! Mr. Morton Browne eyed her in surprise, and from that moment
she began to have decided possibilities. Just then Jane and Susan entered
arrayed for the walk, but Mr. Browne showed himself in no hurry to
depart: began to speak, indeed, in a deprecating way about the weather,
appealed to his friend, Mr. King, if it didn't look remarkably like rain,
or hail, or snow. Susan sat down, Jane sat down, Mr. Browne and his
friend prepared to sit down when Cynthia moved toward the door.

"You're not going, Cynthia!" cried Susan, in a voice that may have had a
little too much eagerness in it. "You must stay and help us entertain Mr.
Browne." (Mr. King, apparently, was not to be entertained.) "We've tried
so hard to make her come down when people called, Mr. Browne, but she
never would."

Cynthia was not skilled in the art of making excuses. She hesitated for
one, and was lost. So she sat down, as far from Mr. Browne as possible,
next to Jane. In a few minutes Mr. Browne was seated beside her, and how
he accomplished this manoeuvre Cynthia could not have said, so skilfully
and gradually was it done. For lack of a better subject he chose Mr.
Robert Worthington. Related, for Cynthia's delectation, several of Bob's
escapades in his freshman year: silly escapades enough, but very bold and
daring and original they sounded to Cynthia, who listened (if Mr. Browne
could have known it) with almost breathless interest, and forgot all
about poor Susan talking to Mr. King. Did Mr. Worthington still while
away his evenings stealing barber poles and being chased around Cambridge
by irate policemen? Mr. Browne laughed at the notion. O dear, no! seniors
never descended to that. Had not Miss Wetherell heard the song wherein
seniors were designated as grave and reverend? Yes, Miss Wetherell had
heard the song. She did not say where, or how. Mr. Worthington, said his
classmate, had become very serious-minded this year. Was captain of the
base-ball team and already looking toward the study of law.

"Study law!" exclaimed Cynthia, "I thought he would go into his father's
mills."

"Do you know Bob very well?" asked Mr. Browne.

She admitted that she did not.

"He's been away from Brampton a good deal, of course," said Mr. Browne,
who seemed pleased by her admission. To do him justice, he would not
undermine a classmate, although he had other rules of conduct which might
e