But Mary became more and more interested in watching a tall, athletic figure in outing flannels and white shoes, who swung his racket with the deftness of an expert, and who flashed an amused smile at her over the net occasionally, as if he understood the situation and was enjoying it with her.
Several times when Rob's playing brought him near the seat where the two children sat, he went into unaccountable roars of laughter, for which the amazed girls scolded him soundly, when he refused to explain.

One time was when he overheard a scrap of conversation.

Girlie had suggested a return to the porch and the play-house, and Mary responded, graciously: [Illustration: "A TALL, ATHLETIC FIGURE IN OUTING FLANNELS"] "Oh, we did all that yesterday morning, and I think that even in the matter of playing dolls one ought to be abstemious.

Don't you?
You know Arbuthnot says that 'instances of longevity are chiefly among the abstemious,' and I certainly want to be longevous." A startled expression crept into Girlie's pale blue eyes, but she only sat back farther on the seat and tightened her clasp on Evangeline.

The next time Rob sauntered within hearing distance, a discussion of literature was in progress, Mary was asking: "Have you ever read 'Old Curiosity Shop ?'" The flaxen curls shook slowly in the motion that betokened she had not.
"Nothing of Dickens or Scott or Irving or Cooper ?" Still the flaxen curls shook nothing but no.
"Then what have you read, may I ask ?" The superior tone of Mary's question made it seem that she was twenty years older than the child at her side, instead of only two.
"I like the Dotty Dimple books," finally admitted Girlie.