I was somewhat nettled, I believe." And having achieved this speech, Miss Lavinia stiffens again into imposing dignity, sails away into the house, and disappears, leaving Verty overwhelmed with surprise.
He feels a hand laid upon his arm;--a blushing face looks frankly and kindly into his own.
"Don't let us talk any more in that way, Verty, please," says the young girl, with the most beautiful frankness and ingenuousness; "we are friends and playmates, you know; and we ought not to act toward each other as if we were grown gentleman and lady.

Please do not; it will make us feel badly, I am sure.

I am only Redbud, you know, and you are Verty, my friend and playmate.

Shall I sing you one of our old songs ?" The soft, pure voice sounded in his ears like some fine melody of olden poets--her frank, kind eyes, as she looked at him, soothed and quieted him.

Again, she was the little laughing star of his childhood, as when they wandered about over the fields--little children--that period so recent, yet which seemed so far away, because the opening heart lives long in a brief space of time.