ntinued silence. "You seemed to have such an
excellent influence upon Percival heretofore that it grieves me to find
that my estimate of your character is wrong. I did not dream that you
would incite him to mischief of any sort. I can not understand it. A
thing of this nature, upon which so much depended, should not have been
done without consulting me. Percival has not been kept in curls and
knickerbockers without a reason. I know he has rebelled at times, but he
knew the necessity. Didn't you know this, Beatrice?"

"No;" uttered Bee helplessly. "I didn't know. I--"

"You did know, however, that you should have kept him from such an act
until my return," said the mother, who was very near tears. "Why did you
not?"

It has been said that Beatrice was possessed of that peculiar sense of
honor that is common among boys, where one will suffer an unjust
accusation rather than tell upon another. She was like a boy in many
ways: frank, direct, and scornful of tattling; so now she stood silent
while the lady waited, perplexed by what seemed to be an obstinate
refusal to answer.

"I shall have to report this to your father, Beatrice," she said
presently, with sorrow. "Perhaps he will be more successful in obtaining
an explanation from you than I have been. We will go to him. Percival,
do you remain where you are. I will deal with you upon my return."

She caught Beatrice by the arm and hurried her out of the house, through
the fields to her own home. Doctor Raymond sat with Adele in the
library. He glanced up in some astonishment at their abrupt entrance.

"Doctor Raymond," began Mrs. Medulla at once, her usually even tones
tense with excitement, "do you know what your daughter has done?"

"Nothing serious, I hope, madam," he replied with a quick glance at
Beatrice.

"It is serious, doctor. Very serious for us. She has cut off Percival's
curls. Do you realize the meaning of such an act? It means that no
manager will book him for an engagement. People don't care for a boy
musician without curls."

Involuntarily Doctor Raymond's eyes wandered to Adele, who sat watching
the scene with troubled countenance. She was daintily arrayed as was her
custom, and looked sweet, charming, and ladylike. All that a girl should
be she appeared to be. A slight, a very slight sigh escaped him. Slight
as it was, however, his daughter heard it. She saw plainly what was
passing in his mind, and it was all that she could do to restrain
cont