"Why, you see, I don't believe it's possible for any girl to be as sweet
as you look. I couldn't, I know. I've been trying these two days, and
I'm nearly worn out."

Annie's eyes opened wide with surprise; and she laughed merrily, as she
answered,--

"What can you mean! I'm glad enough if my face doesn't tell tales of
me."

"But mine does," said Jenny. "And then I'm so sure to tell all the rest
with my tongue. I do wish I knew what were your faults."

"My faults? What for?"

"I don't know. Seems to me, if I could think of your faults instead of
mine, it wouldn't be so hard to look sweet."

Annie could but see that there was more earnestness than fun in the
queer talk of her new acquaintance.

The truth was, that Jenny had been having almost as hard a struggle with
her tongue as Dick Lee with his, though not for the same reason. Before
many minutes she had frankly told Annie all about it, and she could not
have done that if she had not somehow felt that Annie's "sweetness" was
genuine.

The two girls were sure friends after that, much to the surprise of Mr.
Dabney Kinzer. He, indeed, had been too much occupied in caring for all
his guests, to pay especial attention to any one of them.