thy.

"Naughty girl! The poor stone was standing in the road, never moving
until you came along and gave it a kick," he said reproachfully, at
which they all laughed, and the caterpillar affair was forgotten for
the time by all except Alene, who had picked up her parasol and walked
along with an air of unconcern that gave her friends no hint of the
tears so bravely forced back.

"'Fraid cat!" her thoughts ran; "why couldn't Hugh have been polite
enough to keep from that slighting remark or at least laugh
good-naturedly with the rest, and paid no more attention to it, instead
of making so much of such a trivial affair!"

She felt at first that the day was spoiled so far as she was concerned;
but the gay chatter of the others, the new experience of tramping the
country paths, climbing fences and crossing runs, discovering new
beauties at every step, made her presently forget her chagrin.

As the day wore on, the smaller children cast wistful glances toward
the baskets, and even went so far as to peek through any little opening
to make sure that certain favorite morsels, which they had seen put in,
had not mysteriously disappeared.

"Laura, you and mother must have loaded this basket with cobblestones,"
cried Mat with a groan, leaning sideways almost to the ground.

"Cobblestones! You take very good care not to call them that when
you're begging mother to cut her fresh pies! I'll tell her what you
call 'em in company!"

"Well, it's funny how heavy this basket's grown in the last half hour!"

"I've noticed they always do grow heavier toward noon," commented Hugh.
"Can't we lighten 'em some way?"

"Can't we? Just let me try! Keep off, Nettie, or I'll eat you up--I'm
as hungry as Red Riding-hood's famous--or infamous--bear!"

"It was a wolf!" declared Nettie, in the tone of one who knew.

"So much the better to eat you up, my honey!" Mat smacked his lips
voraciously, displaying two rows of firm white teeth, and made a dart
at the little girl. She ran screaming to Laura, who, Ivy often
declared, was the children's real and truly Noah's ark of refuge.

Everybody was hungry and they only waited to reach a suitable place for
lunch.

"I know the very spot," said Hugh, leading the way.

"Behold a Moses to lead us out of the wilderness!" cried Mat.

"And behold the Promised Land!" Ivy screamed in delight, as her brother
set his basket among the great knotted roots of a tree that helped to
shade a stretch of