"They're all old friends of mine.

Come here and let me introduce you--and don't look so horrified, honey!" Those incorrigibles, her cousins, would have whooped with joy at her unmistakable terror when she held out a trembling hand and gasped faintly: "H-how do you--do ?" "This Hagar," Phoebe announced cheerfully; and the old squaw caught the girl's hand and gripped it tightly for a moment in malicious enjoyment of her too evident fear and repulsion.
"This Viney." Viney, reading Evadna's face in one keen, upward glance, kept her hands hidden in the folds of her blanket, and only nodded twice reassuringly.
"This Lucy." Lucy read also the girl's face; but she reached up, pressed her hand gently, and her glance was soft and friendly.

So the ordeal was over.
"Bring some of that cake you baked to-day, honey--and do brace up!" Phoebe patted her upon the shoulder.
Hagar forestalled the hospitable intent by getting slowly upon her fat legs, shaking her hair out of her eyes, and grunting a command to the others.

With visible reluctance Lucy and Viney rose also, hitched their blankets into place, and vanished, soft-footed as they had come.
"Oo-oo!" Evadna stared at the place where they were not.

"Wild Indians--I thought the boys were just teasing when they said so--and it's really true, Aunt Phoebe ?" "They're no wilder than you are," Phoebe retorted impatiently.
"Oh, they ARE wild.