"As to the ladies," laughed Katie, "one of them is quite fond of the
red-skins; the other," glancing at her friend, "has gone into a brown
study; I don't believe she's heard or seen anything for the last half
hour. Elizabeth, when you fish up any pearls there out of the water,
share them with us, won't you?"

"No, she'll do no such thing," interposed Mistress Eveleigh; "she'll
give them all to you." The tone was so serious that Elizabeth cried,
indignantly,--

"Cousin Patience, how can you?"

"I suppose she likes to tease you," retorted Katie, still laughing, "and
so do I. It's so funny to see you wake out of a revery and find
yourself."

"And not find myself, you mean," returned Elizabeth, joining in with a
ripple of merriment.

"Master Waldo knows all about the red-skins," said Archdale to his
opposite neighbor; "he had the pleasure of shooting one last winter."

"Did you?" exclaimed Mrs. Eveleigh, while Harwin looked at the young
fellow with a new interest. "How did it happen? Tell us about it."

"Yes, tell us about it," cried Katie, turning toward Waldo. But
Elizabeth was still looking at Archdale. Suppose the shooting had been
necessary, how could he speak of killing a human being as he would an
animal, and then lean back and look at Mr. Waldo with a smile on his
face?