thought, he added that Mrs. Maitland would not dream of going to
live in the town where her son was at school. "She has sense
enough to know that Blair, or any other boy worth his salt, would
hate his mother if she tagged on behind," said Mr. Ferguson; "of
course you would never think of doing such a thing, either," he
ended, ironically.

"Of course not," said Mrs. Richie, faintly. So it was that,
assisted by her landlord, David's mother thrust her one chicken
out into the world unprotected by her hovering wing. About the
time Miss White lost her two masculine pupils, the girls began to
go to a day-school in Mercer, Cherry-pie's entire deposition as a
teacher being brought about because, poor lady! she fumbled badly
when it came to a critical moment with Elizabeth. It all grew out
of one of the child's innumerable squabbles with David--she got
along fairly peaceably with Blair. She and Nannie had been
comparing pigtails, and David had asserted that Elizabeth's hair
was "the nicest"; which so gratified her that she first hugged
him violently, and then invited him to take her out rowing.

"I'll pay for the boat!" she said, and pirouetted around the
room, keeping time with:

"'Oh, that will be joyful, joyful, joyful!
Oh, that will be--'

"Uncle gave me a dollar yesterday," she interrupted herself,
breathlessly.

To this David, patiently straightening his collar after that