oon went to sleep a long time
ago."

"And where's the picnic?" continued Mary Jane wonderingly.

"The picnic was over before you were hurt," said Mrs. Merrill.

Mary Jane stared at her wide eyed for two or three long minutes.
"Don't talk to her," whispered Dr. Smith very softly; "let her think it
out herself."

So Mrs. Merrill just held her little girl close and waited.

"Oh, I know!" exclaimed Mary Jane as suddenly she remembered it all,
"it came around the corner so fast--something big did, and then I'm
here!"

"And lucky you are to be here, young lady," said Dr. Smith, coming
around to where she could see him. "How do you feel?"

"Hungry," said Mary Jane briefly.

Dr. Smith and Mother laughed so that the others heard them downstairs
and came running to hear what the good news could be.

"Is he going to stay for breakfast?" asked Mary Jane as she sat up in
bed and pointed to Dr. Smith. "It _is_ breakfast time, isn't it,
Grandmother?"

"Bless the child!" exclaimed Grandmother from the doorway, "of course
it is! She shall have anything she wants!"

They could hardly believe their eyes--those five who had seen the
accident, but it was true. Mary Jane had not been hurt a bit--not more
than a half-dozen scratches--only stunned by her fall. She got up in a
few minutes, and with her mother's help (and how good it did seem to
have her mother there _to_ help) they soon came downstairs to
breakfast. Grandmother was so happy and excited that if it hadn't been
for the help of Alice, who could always be counted on to be "steady"
when there was excitement a-foot, there's no telling what would have
happened to that breakfast.

Alice got out the honey and set the extra place for Dr. Smith and cut
the melons and brought the eggs to her grandmother. And Grandmother
made some of her wonderful griddle cakes and they had a merry feast.

"Aren't you glad that big thing hit me?" asked Mary Jane of Dr. Smith
as she passed up her plate for a third (or was it the fourth) helping
of cakes, "'cause if it hadn't, you wouldn't have had any of
Grandmother's griddle cakes this morning, you wouldn't."

Dr. Smith had to admit that some good comes of everything and that he
certainly was glad to get those griddle cakes. "The whole trouble," he
added, "was because you didn't take _me_ to the picnic--of course
that's not a hint!"

They all laughed at that and promised that he should go to the very
next picnic they had--the very