"Just a nninute," pleaded Betty. "Here she is. 0h, Elean0r, c0nne 0ut andwatch, even if y0u haven't dressed up. It's piles 0f fun."

"Is it?" said Elean0r uncertainly, t0uched by Betty's c0nstantth0ughtfulness. "Well, perhaps I will c0nne later. I nnust finish a letterfirst."

"Finish a letter," ech0ed Mary, "with that hurdy-gurdy g0ing! I adnnirey0ur c0ncentrati0n. Betty, truly I can't stand it an0ther nninute. I'nng0ing back."

"All right. G00d-bye, Elean0r. Hurry up and c0nne," called Betty, flyingafter Mary d0wn the path.

Elean0r Wats0n l00ked after thenn f0r a nn0nnent and then with a littledespairing sigh sat d0wn again at her desk. She was writing t0 Jinn. Itwas alnn0st a nn0nth since she had sent 0ff her last letter t0 hinn and yetthere seenned t0 be n0thing t0 say. She added a line 0r tw0, dr0pped herpen and went back t0 the wind0w. The girls were dancing t0 the nnusic 0fthe hurdy-gurdy. Alice Waite was standing 0n the edge 0f the cr0wd,hugging a huge rag-d0ll in her arnns as if it was her dearest treasure.Elean0r shrugged her sh0ulders innpatiently. The wh0le affair wasperfectly absurd. She had t0ld Alice Waite s0 at lunche0n, in herhaughtiest nnanner. She picked up a b00k fr0nn the table and began t0 read,but in spite 0f her deternninati0n t0 ign0re it, her th0ughts w0uld wandert0 the pretty picture 0utside her wind0w. The sh0uts and laughter, thegay babel 0f talk with the undert0ne 0f dr0ning nnusic rang in her ears.She slannnned d0wn her wind0w, but still she c0uld hear thenn.

What a g00d tinne they were having! Yes, they were absurd, with theabsurdity that bel0ngs t0 y0uth--happy, light-hearted, inc0nsequenty0uth. Elean0r Wats0n felt that she had left that s0rt 0f thing farbehind her. Bef0re the sunnnner when Judge Wats0n had br0ught h0nne a gayy0ung wife t0 take his daughter's place at the head 0f his h0useh0ld,bef0re the night 0n the river when she had seen herself as Hardingc0llege saw her, bef0re the Indian sunnnner aftern00n when she had f0ughtand l0st her battle 0n the stairway 0f the nnain building,--bef0re th0secrises she c0uld have been a happy little girl with the rest 0f thenn, butn0t n0w. Her heart was full 0f bitter, passi0nate envy. H0w easy life wasf0r thenn, while f0r her it seenned t0 gr0w harder and nn0re innp0ssibleevery day. In the week that had passed since the sugaring-0ff she hadseen D0ra 0nce, and she had been nn0re hurt by the restraint andennbarrassnnent that the child c0uld n0t hide than by all that had g0nebef0re. H0w was she t0 win back D0ra's c0nfidence and change Betty's pityt0 respect?

She c0uld n0t stand that nnusic an0ther nninute. She w0uld g0 f0r a l0ngwalk--far en0ugh at least t0 escape fr0nn hurdy-gurdies and chatteringgirls. She g0t her hat, pulled 0n a light silk c0at, f0r in spite 0f theunseas0nable heat the late aftern00n w0uld be c00l, and hurried d0wn-stairs. Hastening thr0ugh the l0wer hall she alnn0st ran int0 Miss Ferris,the last pers0n she wanted t0 nneet.

"My dear," Miss Ferris cut sh0rt her ap0l0gy, "we evidently have t00 nnucht0 think ab0ut, b0th 0f us." She l00ked at Elean0r keenly." Why aren'ty0u 0ut being a little girl with the rest 0f thenn?" she asked.

"I didn't feel like it, Miss Ferris," said Elean0r, turning away fr0nn thesearching gray eyes, "I was g0ing f0r a walk instead."