CHAPTER VII. HOW BETTY SHERMAN WON A HUSBAND

The rest of us did not share the Story Girl's enthusiasm
regarding our call on Mr. Campbell. We secretly dreaded it. If,
as was said, he detested children, who knew what sort of a
reception we might meet?

Mr. Campbell was a rich, retired farmer, who took life easily.
He had visited New York and Boston, Toronto and Montreal; he had
even been as far as the Pacific coast. Therefore he was regarded
in Carlisle as a much travelled man; and he was known to be "well
read" and intelligent. But it was also known that Mr. Campbell
was not always in a good humour. If he liked you there was
nothing he would not do for you; if he disliked you--well, you
were not left in ignorance of it. In short, we had the
impression that Mr. Campbell resembled the famous little girl
with the curl in the middle of her forehead. "When he was good,
he was very, very good, and when he was bad he was horrid." What
if this were one of his horrid days?

"He can't DO anything to us, you know," said the Story Girl. "He
may be rude, but that won't hurt any one but himself."

"Hard words break no bones," observed Felicity philosophically.

"But they hurt your feelings. I am afraid of Mr. Campbell," said
Cecily candidly.