ttic. He spoils everything, and I don't want to play with him.
Teddy's cross, and Hu won't do anything."

There was a silence, while Hope filled a tall vase with late
chrysanthemums.

"I wish I were a flower," Phebe said moodily; "only Allyn would tear it
to pieces. I'd rather be a vine; that's tougher."

"What has Allyn done?" Hope asked.

"I don't tell tales, Hope McAlister." And Phebe departed with her chin
in the air, leaving Hope to console herself for the rebuke with the
reflection that Phebe's code of honor, in such cases, varied according
to her own share of the blame.

Half an hour later, Phebe appeared to Billy, who sat in an easy-chair
before a crackling fire in the library.

"Hullo, Phebe!" he exclaimed. "How you was?"

"All right. I thought I'd come over and see you, a while."

"That's good. You don't often come. Sit down, won't you?" He waved his
book hospitably in the direction of a chair. "Where's Teddy? She hasn't
been over here for an age."

"She's--busy." Phebe spoke with a tone of conscious mystery.

"What do you mean?" Billy turned to look at his guest in astonishment.

"Oh--nothing."

"What is the matter? Is Teddy sick?"

"No; she's all right." Phebe gave a hostile sniff.

"Then why doesn't she come over?"

"I s'pose because she doesn't want to."

"Is she mad about anything?"

Phebe shook her head mockingly. Then she rose and stood facing him, with
her back to the fire.

"It's all Teddy, Teddy, Teddy!" she said complainingly. "Nobody takes
the trouble to talk to me, and you're just as bad as the rest of them.
You needn't think your old Teddy is perfect, for she isn't."

"Maybe not; but she is a blamed sight better than you are," Billy
answered more bluntly than courteously.

[Illustration: "'WHAT DO YOU THINK OF THIS?' SHE DEMANDED."]

"Is she?" Phebe plunged her hand into her pocket. "What do you think of
this?" she demanded, pulling out a long brown pigtail and brandishing it
before Billy's astonished eyes.

"What's that?"

"Can't you tell? You've seen it often enough."

"Let me see." Billy held out his hand.

"Sha'n't. It's Teddy's. She cut it off."

"I don't believe it. Let me take it, Babe." His tone was commanding.

For her only answer, Phebe sprang back out of his reach, caught her heel
in the rug and fell. Her stiff white apron lay for an instant against
the grate; the next moment, it blazed above her head.

With a swift exclamation, Billy struggled to mo