y?"

"Yes, I think our camping trip was a success, in more ways than one,"
said Mrs. Burnam, smiling quietly to herself, as she recalled certain
scenes in which Louise and the doctor had played a part. There was no
doubt in her mind about the enjoyment of two of their number, however
the others might have looked upon it.

"But, after all," resumed Allie, going back to her original statement;
"I do like getting settled down again; and this vacation has been so
stirred up that I believe I shall be glad to have some lessons once
more."

"Here comes Ned," said her mother, glancing up from her work as the boy
turned the corner and came up the street towards the house. "He's
probably after you and the boys for some frolic or other."

"All right; I've just finished my last stocking. Did you ever see
anybody make such holes as Howard does?" And she rolled the stockings
into a ball and tossed them into the basket, as Ned came up the steps.

"Hullo!" he remarked, dropping into the chair from which Allie had just
risen, and helping himself to her orderly work-basket. "Where are the
other fellows?"

"They've gone up the creek fishing," answered Allie, watching, with an
anxious face, while Ned investigated her papers of needles, and then
turned his attention to her button bag.

"They must want something to do," returned Ned scornfully. "I should
think you about lived on fish, up here."

"They don't often catch anything," said Mrs. Burnam, laughing; "not even
colds. Howard fell into the creek, day before yesterday, and then sat
around in his wet clothes all the afternoon; but it didn't seem to hurt
him any."

"I tried that once," said Ned, as he stealthily put the basket on the
floor, just behind Allie, where she could not fail to step in it and
overturn it; "but I had the worst of it, for Cousin Euphemia saw me when
I came home. She put me to bed, right in the middle of the day, and made
me take some hot ginger-tea. Ugh, what a mess 't was! I'd rather have
had a dozen colds than be choked to death, and left to stew in a flannel
blanket. But what I came to say, Allie--Oh, isn't that too bad! You've
upset your basket."

"What a wretch you are, Ned!" And Allie slyly dropped a large, flat
button down inside his collar, as she stooped to pick up her scattered
treasures. "You've done this before, and I know just how sorry you are."

"I didn't do a single thing," returned Ned innocently. "How'd I know you
were going to put yo