"Why, nowhere; you're nothing but a boy, you know," replied his
sister, with an air of conscious superiority.

"One boy is as good as a dozen girls, though, ma'am," retorted
Alan.

"Do you want to come too?" asked Polly. "He can, can't he, mamma?"

"I don't know as I want to, all the time," said Alan. "I'd like it
when I can't do anything else; but when the boys are round, I'd
rather be with them, of course."

"That settles it," said Polly, leaning forward to tickle his ear
with a long-stemmed daisy. "Take us or leave us; but we don't want
any half-way friends that like us when they can't get anything any
better."

"Don't you mind her, Alan," said Mrs. Adams. "You can come, if you
want to, and I'll protect you myself."

"If you come, though," added Polly, determined to have the last
word, "you'll have to bring some stockings to darn. We shan't let
in any lazy people."




CHAPTER IV.