“How brave you must be?” said Julia, with evident admiration.
“There was no need of my being frightened,” said Herbert, modestly. “I was expecting him.”
“I know I should have been frightened to death,” said Julia, decidedly.
“You are a girl, you know,” said Herbert. “I suppose it is natural for girls to be timid.”
“I don't know but it is, but I am sure it is not natural to all boys to be brave.”
Herbert smiled.
“I was out in the country, one day, walking with Frank Percy,” proceeded Julia, “when a big, ugly-looking dog met us. Frank, instead of standing by, and defending me, ran away as fast as his feet could carry him. I laughed at him so much about it that he doesn't like to come near me since that.”
“How did you escape?” asked Herbert, with interest.
“I saw there was no use in running away, so I patted him on the head, and called him 'Poor dog,' though I expected every minute he was going to bite me. That calmed him down, and he went off without doing any harm.”
Herbert found Mrs. Godfrey to be a pleasant, motherly-looking lady, who received him kindly. He felt that he should like it very much if she was his aunt, instead of Mrs. Stanton, whom he had never seen, and did not think he should care about meeting.