id Laddie, laughing softly.

"Did he call you names again?"

"He did!" said Laddie, "but I started it. You see, when we got there,
Thomas was raking the grass and he came to take the Princess' horse.
Her father was reading on a bench under a tree. I helped her down, and
walked with her to the door and said good-bye, and thanked her for the
pleasure she had added to the day for us, loudly enough that he could
hear; then I went over to him and said: 'Good evening, Mr. Pryor. If
my father knew anything about it, he would very much regret that
company from Ohio detained him and compelled me to escort your daughter
home. He would greatly have enjoyed the privilege, but I honestly
believe that I appreciated it far more than he could.'"

"Oh Laddie, what did he say?"

"He arose and glared at me, and choked on it, and he tried several
times, until I thought the clods were going to fly again, but at last
he just spluttered: 'You blathering rascal, you!' That was such a
compliment compared with what I thought he was going to say that I had
to laugh. He tried, but he couldn't keep from smiling himself, and
then I said: 'Please think it over, Mr. Pryor, and if you find that
Miss Pryor has had an agreeable, entertaining day, won't you give your
consent for her to come among us again? Won't you allow me to come
here, if it can be arranged in such a way that I intrude on no one?'"

"Oh Laddie!"

"He exploded in a kind of a snarl that meant, I'll see you in the Bad
Place first. So I said to him: 'Thank you very much for to-day,
anyway. I'm sure Miss Pryor has enjoyed this day, and it has been the
happiest of my life--one to be remembered always. Of course I won't
come here if I am unwelcome, but I am in honour bound to tell you that
I intend to meet your daughter elsewhere, whenever I possibly can. I
thought it would be a better way for you to know and have us where you
could see what was going on, if you chose, than for us to meet without
your knowledge."

"Oh Laddie," I wailed, "now you've gone and ruined everything!"

"Not so bad as that, Little Sister," laughed Laddie. "Not half so bad!
He exploded in another growl, and he shook his walking stick at me, and
he said--guess what he said."

"That he would kill you," I panted, clinging to him.

"Right!" said Laddie. "You have it exactly. He said: 'Young man,
I'll brain you with my walking stick if ever I meet you anywhere with
my daughter, when you have no