“Well, I hope you won’t be disappointed.  If she was a boy I’d be as glad of her coming, or his coming, as you are.”

“Oh, Maxie, I wish, for your sake, she was a boy!” cried Lulu in her impulsive way, stepping closer and putting her arm about his neck.  “How selfish in me to forget that you have no companion at all at Ion!”

“I have,” returned Max; “I have you, you know, and you’re right good company when you are in a good humor.”

“And I’m not often in any other with you, Maxie; now am I?” she said coaxingly.

“No, sis, that’s true enough, and I do believe I couldn’t get along half so well without you.  I’m glad for your sake that this—­what’s-her-name?—­is coming.”

“Her name is Evelyn.  Oh, Max, I feel so sorry for her!”

“Why?”

“Because her father’s dead, and they were so very, very fond of each other; so Aunt Elsie wrote.”

“Rosie’s father’s dead too; and she and all of them were very fond of him.”

“Yes; but it’s a good while now since he died, and she’s had time to get over it so far that she seems hardly ever to think of him; while it is only a few weeks since Evelyn lost hers; and Rosie has her nice, kind mother with her, while Evelyn’s is away in Europe, and like enough isn’t half so nice as Grandma Elsie anyhow.  Oh, Max, I feel most heart-broken every time papa goes away, even though I expect to see him back again some day; and think how dreadful to have your father gone never to come back!”

“Yes, it would be awful!” said Max.  “I’d rather lose ten years off my own life.  But, Lu, if you really love papa so dearly, how can you behave toward him as you do sometimes—­causing him so much distress of mind?  I’ve seen such a grieved, troubled look on his face, when he thought nobody was watching him, and you were in one of your naughty moods.”

“Oh, Max, don’t!” Lulu said in a choking voice, as she turned and walked away, hot tears in her eyes.

Max ran after her.  “Come, Lu, don’t take it so hard; I didn’t mean to be cruel.”

“But you were!  Go away! you’ve got me into one of my moods, as you call it, and I’d better be let alone,” she returned almost fiercely, jerking herself loose—­for he had caught a fold of her dress in his hand—­and rushing away to the farther end of the grounds, where she threw herself on a rustic seat panting with excitement and the rapidity of her flight.

But the gust of passion died down almost as speedily as it had arisen; she could never be angry very long with Max, her dear, only brother; and now her thoughts turned remorsefully upon the conduct he had condemned.  It was no news to her that she had more than once caused her father much anxiety and grief of heart, nor was it a new thing for her to be repentant and remorseful on account of her unfilial behavior.