obert and the
boys cracked jokes, the girls chattered and laughed, and every one
called on her to applaud the amount of work they had already
accomplished, exactly as though she understood about such things.

And Elliott did applaud, reinforcing her words with a whole battery
of dimples, all the while privately resolving that no contagion of
enthusiasm should inoculate her with the haymaking germ. There were
factors that made it all a bit hard to withstand; the sky was so blue,
the breeze was so jolly, the mown grass smelled so delicious, and
the mountain air had such zest in it. But, on the other hand, the sun
was hot and downright and freckling; Priscilla's tip-tilted little
nose was already liberally besprinkled. If Laura hadn't such a
wonderful skin, she would have been a sight long ago, despite the
wide brim of her big straw hat. A mere farm hat, and Laura looked
like a mere husky farm girl, as she guided her horses skilfully around
the field. How strong her arms must be! But how could a girl with
Laura's intelligence and high spirit and charm enjoy putting all
this time into haying? With Priscilla, of course, matters stood
differently. Children never discriminate.

"No, I sha'n't do that kind of thing," said Elliott, firmly. But she
would investigate the haymaking game, investigate it coolly and
dispassionately, to find out exactly what it amounted to--aside, of
course, from an accumulation of dried grass in barns. To this end, she
invaded the upper meadow a good many times, during the next few days,
took a turn on the hay-rake, now and then helped load and unload,
riding down to the barn on a mound of high-piled fragrance, and came
to the conclusion that, as an activity, haymaking wasn't to be
compared with knocking a ball back and forth across a net. To try
one's hand at it might do well enough, now and then, to spice an
otherwise luxurious life, but as a steady diet the thing was too
unrelenting. One was driven by wind and sun; even the clouds took a
hand in cudgeling one on. A person must keep at it whether she cared
to or not--in actual practice this point never troubled Elliott, who
always stopped when she wished to--there were no spectators, and,
heaviest demerit of all, it was undeniably hard work.

But she was curious to discover what Laura found in it, and you know
Elliott Cameron well enough by this time to understand that she was
not a girl who hesitated to ask for information.

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