Jack Welles, Jerry and Fred Gordon, Ben Kelsey, Norman
Cox and Eustice Gray were gravitating toward the rock she had
selected and that Shirley and Sarah were each bringing a playmate to
eat with them, she was thankful that Winnie had had the packing of
the boxes.

There were more than enough sandwiches and stuffed eggs and cup
cakes and strawberry tarts to satisfy every one and the boys forgot
to be shy and, to Rosemary's delight, helped themselves without
urging, quite as though they knew Winnie had had their pleasure in
mind, as indeed the good soul had.

"We're going to play ball this afternoon," said Jack, when it was a
mortal impossibility for any one to eat more. "Mr. Hamlin gave
orders that we must go far enough away so that there would be no
danger of striking any of the kids with the ball. We're going up the
brook away to an open pasture. Can we help you with the dishes or
anything?" he added thoughtfully.

"There won't be any dishes," smiled Rosemary. "Winnie put in only
paper plates and napkins, and it won't be wasteful to leave the
little that's left for the birds. If you want to bury the boxes,
that will be nice; Hugh always detests any litter left around after
a picnic."

"We'll dig a hole and bury all the trash," said Eustice Gray
instantly. "Come on, fellows, we'll go collect it."

"But you haven't any shovel," said the practical Sarah.

"A-ha, you're a good detective, but you don't know motor trucks,"
replied Eustice, grinning at her, for he had taken a fancy to the
odd child who had screamed to him not to mash the spider he had
fished out of his lemonade cup. "All good motor trucks take a spade
with them, under the seat, to use in case they are stuck on some
muddy road."

"Oh!" said Sarah. "Then I'll come help you."

And she trotted around after the boys till they had collected the
litter and trash left by each group of picnickers and buried it
neatly in a hole they filled in and stamped down firmly. She would
have gone with them to play ball, but Rosemary held her back.

"Well, if I can't play ball, I'll go hunt snakes," decided Sarah
whose frock was torn and dirty already, but whose streaked face
was radiant with the good time she was having.

All the boys, big and little, had disappeared immediately after
luncheon, to play ball in more distant fields. The farmers of the
neighborhood were perfectly willing to lend their pasture land for a
day and there were no crops to be spoiled by tra