A Popular Schoolgirl

"Ingred! Ingred, old girl! I say, Ingred! Wherever have you taken yourself off to?"shouted a boyish voice, as its owner, jumping an obstructing gooseberry bush, torearound the corner of the house from the kitchen garden on to the strip of roughlawn that faced the windows. "Hullo! Cuckoo! Coo-ee! In-gred!""I'm here all the time, so you needn't bawl!" came in resigned tones from under theshade of a large fuchsia. "You're enough to wake the dead, Chumps! What is it youwant now! It's too hot to go a walk till after tea. I'm trying to get ten minutes peaceand quiet!"Hereward, otherwise "Chumps," put his feet together in the second position, flungout his arms in what was intended to be a graceful attitude, and made a mock bowworthy of the cinema stage."Have them by all means, Madam!" he replied in mincing accents. "Your humbleservant has no wish to disturb your ladyship's elegant repose. He offers a thousandapologies for his unceremonious entrance into your august presence, and imploresyou to condescend--Ow! Stop it, you brute!"Hereward's burst of eloquence was brought to an abrupt end by the violentonslaught of a fox-terrier puppy which flung itself upon him and began to worry hisankles with delighted yelps of appreciation.