AN INVITATION 113 



isn't late, may I run down and tell Rap ? I suppose, 

 of course, we will go," he added anxiously. 



" There is nothing about girls in the letter," said 

 Dodo, "and it will be a dreadfully unthankful Thanks- 

 giving Day with only mother and Olive and me at 

 home, and Mammy Bun may say it is wasteful to kill 

 jMr. Gobble only for us, and he is so fat I don't think 

 he will live till Christmas. You will all be so tired 

 when you get home Saturday, and proud with going 

 hunting, that you won't care to cook supper and tell 

 stories in our camp." 



Here Dodo's voice broke into a wail, and in spite of 

 brave blinking, a large round tear perched itself on her 

 nose in a position where it commanded attention. 



" Oh, Dodo," said her uncle, taking her on his knee, 

 " it is a very poor sportsman that cries not only before 

 he is hurt, but befoi-e the gun that might possibly hurt 

 him is even loaded. Cheer up, did you ever know any 

 one at the farm to make a good time for themselves by 

 hurting somebody else ? " 



" No-oo, but I shouldn't want to be piggy and keep 

 you all at home, either," murmured Dodo, with her 

 face hidden under her uncle's coat-collar. 



" There is a useful word in our language that is a 

 ver}'' good plaster to cure the ills of reasonable people 

 who wish to do different things, it is compromise. Do 

 you know what that means ? " 



" No-oo," quavered Dodo. 



" Each agree and do a part of what they want," said 

 Olive. 



"Oh, I know now," said Nat; "it's what Rod calls 

 ' split-the-difference.' " 



