of
either of them into our hearts and homes."

"My!" said Azalea, unable to think of any more fitting response, and
taking Betty's outstretched hand, with her own little finger carefully
extended.

Betty Gale's eyes opened wide for a fraction of a second, then she as
quickly accepted the situation, and said, cordially, "I'm sure we shall
be friends. And you must like my scapegrace brother, too, if only for my
sake."

"At first," supplemented Raymond, as he stepped toward Azalea, "but as
soon as you know me better, you'll love me for myself alone,--I feel sure
of that!"

"My!" said Azalea again. Her bravado deserted her in the presence
of these two merry visitors. They seemed so at ease, so knowing, so
carelessly polite, that Azalea felt as if they were beings from some
other sphere. The Farnsworths, she knew, made allowance for her because
she was a guest in their household, but these people seemed to expect her
to be like themselves, and she suddenly realised she couldn't be as they
were.

A strange contradictory streak in her nature often made her assume an
accomplishment she did not possess, and now, knowing she couldn't chat in
their lively fashion, she took refuge in an attitude of bold hilarity,
and talked loud and fast.

"I'll love you, if you make love to me good and proper," she said, with a
burst of laughter. "But I've got a beau back home, who'll go for you, if
he knows it!"

"Oh, we'll keep it secret," returned young Gale; "I'm awfully good at
keeping secrets of that sort! Trust me. And it shall be my earnest
endeavour to cut out said beau. Meet me halfway, won't you?"

"Yes, indeed, and then some! I'm a great little old halfway meeter, you
bet!"

"I'm sure of it!" Gale was laughing now. "Let's go out on the verandah
and talk it over."

"Don't trust him too implicitly, Miss Thorpe," warned Betty; "my brother
is a first-grade scalawag,--and I want you to be forewarned!"

"There, there, Sis, I'll do my own forewarning. Come along, Miss Thorpe,
we'll sit under the spreading wistaria tree."

The two disappeared, and there was a moment's silence, and then Patty
said,

"Our cousin is from Arizona, and it's hard for her, at first, to adapt
herself to our more formal ways. It must be great out there,--all wide
spaces, and big, limitless distances--"

"God's country!" said Farnsworth, who always had a love for his Western
wilds.

"Nix!" cried Betty, "I've been there, and it's just one cactus af