he
had something to tell worth knowing.

"What will you give me?" asked Hugh, still bent on tantalizing the girls.

"I've got nothing to give that you want," said Jessie, and then in a
coaxing tone she added, "come, Hugh, do tell us, there's a good, dear
Hugh."

"No, you don't come it over me with soft soap like that," replied the boy;
"I'm not a fly to be caught with maple molasses."

"If you was _my_ brother I'd _make_ you tell me," said Emily, her eyes
sparkling with rising passion as she spoke.

"You _are_ a spunky little lady, I declare," said Hugh, laughing; "but
here, Jessie, suppose you try to _guess_ my secret. It is something you
would give ever so much to know."

"_Really_, Hugh, have you a secret, _truly_?"

"Yes, _truly_. Honor bright, I tell you. It is a glorious secret. It will
make you ever so happy to know it."

"What is it about? Is somebody coming here? Do tell me, Hugh."

"Catch a weasel asleep and you'll catch me answering questions. But I see
you _won't_ buy, and you _can't_ guess my secret, so I'll be off," and in
spite of all the entreaties of Jessie and the biting speeches which Emily
made, master Hugh left the room, carrying his secret with him.

Jessie, sighed, and turning to her dolls, said, "Hugh is a great tease,
isn't he Emily?"

"He's a great ugly monster!" retorted Emily, who was in the habit of using
strong words, without much regard to their meaning. "If he was my brother
he shouldn't tease me so."

"Oh, Hugh only does it for fun. He is a dear good brother, after all,
only," and here Jessie lowered her voice almost to a whisper, "only I wish
he was as good as Guy."

"_For fun_, eh? I'd _fun_ him: I'd pull his hair, and hide away his books,
and steal his playthings, and call that fun, if he was my brother," cried
Emily.

"Oh, fy! cousin Emily. That would be wicked fun, and would make both you
and your brother unhappy," said Guy, who had just entered the room.

The girls looked on the speaker, who, before Emily had time to reply, went
on to say,--

"Girls, Carrie Sherwood invites you to go nutting with her this afternoon.
Richard Duncan, Norman Butler, Adolphus Harding, Walter, Hugh, Charlie,
you two young ladies, Carrie, and a young lady or two of her acquaintance,
are to make up the party. Carriages will call for you at one o'clock. You
must get ma to give you an early dinner, and be ready in time."

"That is what Hugh meant by his secret. Oh, I'm so glad," said J