care of my
mother, and she is all right. We are great friends, but she doesn't
always give me what I want. I have to get it someway."

"If I were she I wouldn't give in to you," spoke the girl severely. "If
she would not you would go on and play anyway when you found that you
could not have what you wished. Now wouldn't you?"

"I never thought about it just that way," observed the Prodigy
thoughtfully, "but--yes; I guess I would. You needn't go tell my mother
though. I'd have no end of trouble in getting the things I want, and old
Heinrich is bad enough now."

"I am not a tattletale," exclaimed Bee indignantly. "I don't repeat
things which I know people would rather I would not tell."

"You mean that for me, Beatrice Raymond," cried the boy rising. "I won't
trouble you by telling you anything more; that's certain. You may come
over to see my mother if you want to. I won't be at home to you. You are
entirely too dicta--dicta--" He struggled valiantly with the word for a
moment, then gave it up, and bowing stiffly, stalked majestically away.

Beatrice's impulse was to call him back and apologize. Then, as she saw
him give a quick backward glance at her, a light broke upon her mind,
and she coolly retreated into the house.

"The rogue! he is just too spoiled for anything," she laughed. "He did
that, thinking that I would run after him. Well, I won't. A little
judicious snubbing will do him good."

"Has Joel come back from town, Aunt Fanny?" she asked as she entered the
kitchen.

"Yes'm; he done kum back, Joel is. He brung a lettah from yer pa, I
'specs. Hit ain't from no lady nohow, an' no udder gem'mens gwine ter
write dat I knows anything erbout."

"Certainly it is from father," said Bee, breaking the seal eagerly.
"Although I might have a half dozen gem'mens writing to me for all you
know," she added, teasingly.

"No, yer ain't, honey. Dey may kum in time, but yer too 'voted ter yer
pa right now for hit."

And so she talked while Beatrice perused her letter. It was short, and
ran as follows:

"My dear Daughter:

"I am writing in haste to inform you that I shall be home
Saturday morning, and shall bring with me four of the Faculty
of the University. They are enthusiastic Lepidopterists, and I
am sure that you will enjoy meeting with them. Now, my child,
they will remain for dinner, and while you manage very nicely
indeed with Aunt Fanny, I fear that this may tax your ab