ke this," showing him
a cocoon. "After a short sleep they burst forth into beautiful
butterflies."

"Do they feed on the different colored plants so as to have different
colors?" he queried.

"Why, Percival, that is a sweet fancy," she cried. "I never thought of
that. I'll ask father if that is what makes them the pretty colors. You
like them too, don't you?"

"I like the butterflies, but I don't like those creepy, crawly things
from which they come."

"That is the most beautiful part of it, father says," said Bee. "They
are humble, earth-bound creatures at first; then after a period of
preparation they become beautiful winged insects, basking in the
sunshine and sipping sweets from flowers."

"I like that part of it," said the boy again. "But those hairy things
give me the creeps. Let's get out of this."

So they adjourned to the veranda forthwith.

"Do you know, my mother said that she rather fancied you?" announced
Percival presently. "She said that you were very pleasant, and that such
a nice girl would be good for me to be with this summer. So I am to
cultivate your acquaintance."

"Indeed!" Beatrice laughed merrily, and then became grave. "Percival,
you are terrible," she said reprovingly. "You ought not to tell
everything that your mother says. I am quite sure that she would not
like it."

"She doesn't," he answered promptly, a sparkle of mischief in his eyes.
"But she can't help herself."

"Why can't she? She could punish you. That might do some good."

"I'd like to see anybody raise a hand to me," said the boy pompously,
reaching down and plucking a blade of grass which he bit into
nonchalantly. "They don't dare do it. You see, I am the head of the
family. I make all the money in concerts. If it were not for me mamma
and old Heinrich would not have a cent. So I do just as I please.
Sometimes," he laughed a malicious little laugh, "if I want anything
real bad I throw a fit just before the performance. My! My! but isn't
there some tall hustling then?"

He laughed again, but the girl regarded him with shocked, pained eyes.
Her disapproval was so evident that he moved about restlessly under her
glance.

"If my mother were living," spoke Bee slowly, "and I could provide for
her by playing, or in any other way, I would be so glad to have her that
I would do anything I could for her. And I would try not to cause her
pain by being naughty."

"Oh, I don't mind playing," confessed he. "I like to take