Part 46 (2/2)

As soon as tea was over Maggie jumped up and said, ”Now, Kitty”--she turned to Kathleen O'Donnell as she spoke--”you and I, and Rosaet through our work as quickly as possible--I suppose, girls”--here she glanced at Aneta in particular--”you will let us have the sitting-roo the leisure hours?”

”Of course ill,” said Sylvia St John in her gentle tone; but she had scarcely uttered the words before Aneta rose

”Of course you can have the sitting-rooie”

”You can't, I aie ”I airls,” she added ”There are no end of things to be done, besides, at the rehearsal” Here she dropped her voice slightly

”The rest of you can go to the sitting-room and do what is necessary,”

continued Aneta ”I want you, Maggie, and you had better coed look calanced full at Aneta ”I go with you,” she said, ”just because you ask et yourself, Queen Aneta I also ado to do with a person who calls herself Tildy,” said Aneta in her gravest voice; and Maggie suddenly felt as though a cold douche had been thrown over her She colored a vivid red Then she turned eagerly to Kathleen

”I won't be a et the accounts in order You o over that tableaux with Diana Vernon--Kathleen, you know that you must put a little more life into your face than you did the other day; and--and--oh dear, how annoying this is!--Yes, of course I will go with you, Aneta You won't keep ie and Aneta left the room

Merry turned to her sister and said in a troubled voice, ”I can't iie I love Aneta, of course, for she is our very own cousin; but I cannot understand her want of syether quite so fond of Maggie as you are, Merry; and you know that,” said Cicely

”I know it,” said Merry ”You are altogether taken up with Aneta”

”Oh, and with school generally,” said Cicely, ”it is all so splendid

But cohtful leisure hours”

The Maggie-girls had ether in groups, talking about the excite Saturday (it was now Thursday), and paying very little heed to Maggie's injunctions to put the accounts in order

”Don't bother about accounts,” said Kitty; ”there's heaps of s to put a whole sovereign in? And I know she is not rich, the dear old precious!”

”She is exactly the sort of girl ould do a generous thing,” said Clara Roache, ”and of course, as queen, she felt that shethan the rest of us”

”Well, she needn't,” said Kathleen ”I'd have loved her just as h! I can't think why I care so much about her, for she's not beautiful”

”Strictly speaking, she is plain,” said Janet Burns; ”but in a case like Maggie's plain face doesn'tinside,” said Matty, ”whichout of her eyes”

”Yes, of course,” said Kathleen O'Donnell; ”and it fills her voice too She has got power and--what you call charm She is meant to rule people”

”I admire her h of course all the world would call Aneta beautiful”

”Yes, that is quite true,” said Kathleen; ”but I call Aneta a little stiff, and she is very deterle bit Wasn't it jolly of Mags to get up this glorious day for us? Won't we have fun? Aneta may look to her laurels, for it's my opinion that the Gibsons and the Cardeill both come over to our side after Saturday”

While this conversation was going on, and Maggie's absence was deplored, and no business whatever was being done towards the entertainie found herself seated opposite to Aneta in Aneta's own bedrooie felt queer and shaken She did not quite knoas the matter Aneta's face was very quiet

After a tiie's hand