n the dust," the perverse Sarah
insisted. "I want to see her bounce when she hits the stones."

"Oh, Sarah, do be still," begged Rosemary. Then, to the weeping
Shirley, "Sarah is only teasing you, darling. She wouldn't hurt your
dolly."

"Are the teachers going?" asked Aunt Trudy anxiously. "I hope some
older people will be on hand to look after you."

"Oh, the teachers are going--worse luck!" Sarah assured her. "I'll
bet they shriek every time I find a water snake."

CHAPTER XXVI

THE SCHOOL PICNIC

The Saturday chosen for the picnic dawned clear and warm and there
was no sleep for anyone in the Willis family after six o'clock.
Shirley and Sarah had to be forcibly restrained from investigating
the boxes on the kitchen table and Winnie finally decided to finish
packing them before breakfast, in order to "get a moment's peace" as
she said.

Sarah flatly refused to go to the picnic unless her red tie could be
found, not that she wanted to wear it for decorative purposes, she
carefully explained, but because she thought she could catch minnows
in it. There was a brook running through the picnic field and Sarah
meant to explore it thoroughly.

By the time Rosemary had found the tie, Shirley had managed to upset
the shoe blacking on her white shoes and had to be hastily refitted
with tan socks and oxfords. Rosemary, flying down the hall with a
new pair of shoelaces for her sister, brushed past Doctor Hugh on
his way to the breakfast table.

"Is there a fire, or is it only the picnic?" he asked humorously,
and she assured him that it was "always like this" on picnic
mornings.

"Well I don't envy the job of the chaperones," said the doctor
feelingly, when they were at last seated and Aunt Trudy was pouring
his coffee. "You and Shirley," he said to Sarah, "want to do as
Rosemary says to-day."

"Then I hope she doesn't say much," retorted Sarah ungraciously.

"If I thought you meant to be as rude as you sometimes sound, Sarah,
I'd read you a lecture on politeness," said her brother, rather
sternly. "But we won't spoil a holiday by bickering. Can you all go
together in the same motor truck?"

"Mr. Oliver said we could do as we pleased, as long as none of the
trucks were overcrowded," explained Rosemary. "I'm going to try and
have Sarah and Shirley in the same car with me; you see if three
other girls want to go together, that will just even it up."

"All right, children, have a good time and don't eat