when you're told. You've got Madge and Johnny to play with."

"But Madge doesn't make water-wheels, and I'm tired of her play, and
Johnny is indoors. Do let me watch you, Sydney!"

But all Sydney's answer was to take the little boy by the shoulders
and march him back to the wall. He felt very angry.

"Now, look here, Walter," he said, "in that elder-bush there lives a
ghost that comes out sometimes. I think you'd better keep away from
it, for you're the sort of chap that would be caught."

[Illustration:]

Sydney, seeing the sudden fear in the child's face as he turned his
eyes towards the elder-tree, thought he had hit on a very happy plan
for keeping Walter away.

"I've given him a fright," said he, as he went back to where his
sisters were sitting by the edge of the stream. "I've told him there's
a ghost in that tree. He won't come past it in a hurry."

Loo laughed, but Lena said: "He'll really believe it, Sydney. He's
such a nervous sort of a child."

"I want him to believe it," said Sydney. "He's such an inquisitive
little chap that he'd have been coming down here to see my wheel when
I wasn't about. I don't know what mother asked him for. He's a perfect
nuisance."