Page:Barbour--Peggy in the rain.djvu/147

 then, at 'Baeville' a nice, plump little mother and a grinning, awkward big brother bore her off all smiles and eager questioning."

Peggy, swinging back and forth on the low seat, had mimicked the child so well that Gordon, though a little hurt and chagrined, had to laugh sympathetically. "The dear little kid," he murmured.

Peggy said "There!" in a strange tone and he looked at her sharply. "What?" he questioned.

She was silent a moment. Then,

"I suppose you'll think me silly," she said finally, "but that story is really a test, Mr. Ames. And you said just the right thing. And" she looked at him, frankly smiling and approving,—"I'm not afraid of you any more!"

"Afraid of me! Were you ever?" he asked.

"Um; a little, I guess; just about that much." She held up a gloved hand in the half-dark, thumb and finger scarcely apart. He was silent a moment.

"I wonder," he said at last, "if you were as afraid of me as I've been of you."

"Afraid of me!" she exclaimed, unconsciously