u."

"O Percival! are you going away?"

"Yes; I came to tell how the affair happened, and to say good-bye. I am
going back to New York to study. I am going to show people that a boy
can play as well as a man even though he isn't an Infant Prodigy. I'll
have to work hard, and throw no more fits if things go wrong; but, Gee!
I'd rather do it than to wear curls."

"You are right, my lad." Doctor Raymond shook his hand. "You will come
out all right. I am sure. Your playing can not fail to win you a place
in spite of your clothes. I wish you every success. I will leave you to
say good-bye to the girls while your mother and I have a few words. You
would like to see Adele too, I presume?"

"I suppose so," answered Master Percival dubiously. "Mamma said that I
must be very nice to make up for my misbehavior, so I suppose that I
must see Adele too. I don't care so much for her as I do for Beatrice.
She is too pretty to be jolly. Pretty folks don't make very good chums.
They think too much of themselves. I can't bear any one who is spoiled,
but--Yes; send her down."

Doctor Raymond smiled broadly as he and the lady left the room.

"I am so sorry that you are going, Percival," said Bee with a catch in
her voice. "I shall miss you so much. Oh, I wish you were not going."

"I am coming back some day, Beefly," he declared earnestly. "Mind you
don't go away from here so that I can't find you. You must stay right
here."

"Yes;" answered Bee. "I shall always be right here whenever you come. I
hope it won't be long."

"And so you are going to leave us?" said Adele sweetly as she entered
the room. "I shall miss you very much, Percival. I am glad to have had
the pleasure of knowing you, and of hearing you play. Perhaps we shall
meet again."

"Thank you," answered the boy on his best behavior. "I am glad to have
known you, too. I have enjoyed our picnics very much, Adele."

"Picnics?" ejaculated Bee. "When did you ever have a picnic with Adele?"

"Hasn't she told you?" asked the boy in surprise. "Every morning that
you studied with your father lately, she would bring a basket of goodies
and we went to the grove. It was fun, but it would have been jollier if
you had been there."

"Adele," cried Bee sharply, a remembrance of Aunt Fanny's words coming
to her, "were those the things you were to take to old Rachel?"

"Yes, they were," answered Adele defiantly. "I got tired of carrying
them down to that cabin. I don't believe tha