CHAPTER I"Climb up in this tree, and play house!" Elizabeth Fergusoncommanded. She herself had climbed to the lowest branch of anapple-tree in the Maitland orchard, and sat there, swinging herwhite-stockinged legs so recklessly that the three children whomshe had summoned to her side, backed away for safety. "If youdon't," she said, looking down at them, "I'm afraid, perhaps,maybe, I'll get mad."Her foreboding was tempered by a giggle and by the deepeningdimple in her cheek, but all the same she sighed with a sort ofimpersonal regret at the prospect of any unpleasantness. "Itwould be too bad if I got mad, wouldn't it?" she saidthoughtfully. The others looked at one another in consternation.They knew so well what it meant to have Elizabeth "mad," thatNannie Maitland, the oldest of the little group, said at once,helplessly, "Well."Nannie was always helpless with Elizabeth, just as she washelpless with her half-brother, Blair, though she was ten andElizabeth and Blair were only eight; but how could a little girllike Nannie be anything but helpless before a brother whom sheadored, and a wonderful being like Elizabeth?--Elizabeth! whoalways knew exactly what she wanted to do, and who instantly "gotmad," if you wouldn't say you'd do it, too; got mad, and thenrepented, and hugged you and kissed you, and actually cried (orgot mad again), if you refused to accept as a sign of yourforgiveness her new slate-pencil, decorated with strips of red-and-white paper just like a little barber's pole! No wonderNannie, timid and good-natured, was helpless before such a sweet,furious little creature! Blair had more backbone than his sister,but even he felt Elizabeth's heel upon his neck. David Richie, asilent, candid, very stubborn small boy, was, after a momentarystruggle, as meek as the rest of them. Now, when she commandedthem all to climb, it was David who demurred, because, he said,he spoke first for Indians tomahawking you in the back parlor.