she went in, greatly to the disgust and envy of Polly, whose
clothes had a tendency to get mysteriously torn, whose shoes
appeared to go in search of dust, and whose short, curly hair had
a perfect genius for getting into a state of wild disorder. It was
not that Florence seemed to take any more care of herself than the
others, but she was naturally one of those favored beings to whom
no particle of dust could cling, who could use none but the
choicest language. Such gentle children have admirers enough; it
is the luckless, quick-tempered Pollies, the warm-hearted, harum-
scarum Jeans, who need a champion.

If Molly and Polly had never disagreed, the quintette would have
been only a trio; for, when they were at peace, they were all in
all to each other. But in times of strife Molly was devoted to
Florence Lang, while Polly took refuge with Jean Dwight. In this
way the V was formed; and though the closest intimacy was between
Molly and Polly, the four girls were firm friends, and there were
few days when they were not to be found together, usually either
at the Hapgood house, or at Polly's, where their visit was never
quite satisfactory unless Mrs. Adams was in the midst of the
group. Alan, too, was often with them, for a tendency to
rheumatism, which occasionally developed into a severe attack of
the disease, kept him in rather delicate health, and prevented his
entering into the athletic sports which are the usual amusement
for lads of his age. But though he was thus, of necessity, thrown
much with his sister and her girl friends, Alan was far from
belonging to that uninteresting species of humanity, the girl-boy;
instead of that, he was a genuine, rollicking boy, with never a
trace of the prig about him.