nice book and read quietly; cheer him up about school, and offer to help him study by and by; you can do that better than I, because I’m only a girl, and don’t learn Greek and Latin and all sorts of headachy stuff.”

“Yes, but you can do heaps of things better than we can; you’ve proved that,” said Archie, with an approving look that delighted Rose, though she could not resist giving Charlie one more rebuke, by saying, with a little bridling of the head, and a curl of the lip that wanted to smile instead—

“I’m glad you think so, though I am a ‘queer chicken.”’

This scathing remark caused the Prince to hide his face for shame, and Steve to erect his head in the proud consciousness that this shot was not meant for him. Archie laughed, and Rose, seeing a merry blue eye winking at her from behind two brown hands, gave Charlie’s ear a friendly tweak, and extended the olive-branch of peace.

“Now we’ll all be good, and plan nice things for poor Mac,” she said, smiling so graciously that the boys felt as if the sun had suddenly burst out from behind a heavy cloud and was shining with great brilliancy.

The storm had cleared the air, and quite a heavenly calm succeeded, during which plans of a most varied and surprising sort were laid, for everyone burned to make noble sacrifices upon the shrine of “poor Mac,” and Rose was the guiding star to whom the others looked with most gratifying submission. Of course, this elevated state of things could not endure long, but it was very nice while it lasted, and left an excellent effect upon the minds of all when the first ardour had subsided.

“There, that’s ready for to-morrow, and I do hope it will be cloudy,” said Rose, as she finished off the new shade, the progress of which the boys had watched with interest.

“I’d bespoken an extra sunny day, but I’ll tell the clerk of the weather to change it. He’s an obliging fellow, and he’ll attend to it, so make yourself easy,” said Charlie, who had become quite perky again.

“It is very easy for you to joke, but how would you like to wear a blinder like that for weeks and weeks, sir?” and Rose quenched his rising spirits by slipping the shade over his eyes, as he still sat on the cushion at her feet.

“It’s horrid! Take it off, take it off! I don’t wonder the poor old boy has the blues with a thing like that on”; and Charlie sat looking at what seemed to him an instrument of torture, with such a sober face that Rose took it gently away, and went in to bid Mac good-night.

“I shall go home with her, for it is getting darkish, and she is rather timid,” said Archie, forgetting that he had often laughed at this very timidity.

“I think I might, for she’s taking care of my brother,” put in Steve, asserting his rights.

“Let’s all go, that will please her”; proposed Charlie, with a burst of gallantry which electrified his mates.

“We will!” they said with one voice, and they did, to Rose’s great surprise and secret contentment; though Archie had all the care of her, for the other two were leaping fences, running races, and having wrestling matches all the way down.

They composed themselves on reaching the door, however; shook hands cordially all round, made their best bows, and retired with great elegance and dignity, leaving Rose to say to herself, with girlish satisfaction, as she went in—

“Now, that is the way I like to be treated.”