"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.