t yer pay for yer pranks when he does
find out," admonished Auntie Elspie, like an indulgent mother
threatening her mischievous children with a father's punishment.
"Gavie jist won't let us put foot into the fields!" she added proudly.
But the two younger ones laughed recklessly. They would be up sides
with Gavie yet, for all his high-handed, bossy ways!

They washed their hands, changed their shoes and put away their big
hats, and all three bustled about getting tea. Christina would have
preferred to slip away before Gavin came in, but she well knew that no
human being had ever come to Craig-Ellachie and left again without
sitting down to eat, and knew it was no use to protest.

So she went out into the garden to help Flora gather a bouquet for the
table, and her hostess broke off armfuls of every sort of flowers she
admired, making a great sheaf to carry home to her mother. They put
the glorious mass into a shining tin pail to await her departure. Then
Christina ran about the kitchen and pantry, helping set the best blue
dishes on the table, and they all laughed and joked and had such a
time, as though all four had just turned nineteen last May.

"Did ye hear that Elspie has a fellow, Christina?" called Auntie Flora
from the cellar whither she had gone to fetch the cream.

"No," cried Christina, overcome with laughter, "she didn't tell me."

"She's just a wee bit shy about it yet," said Auntie Janet. "But when
she gets over it, you'll see them together in church."

"It's Piper Lauchie McDonald!" cried Auntie Flora, coming up to the
surface again; "he's been comin' here pretendin' he wanted to teach
Gavie the pipes, but we can see it's Elspie he's got in his eye."

Auntie Elspie's eyes were dancing. "They're both that jealous o' me,
there's no livin' with them," she confided.

They all joined Christina in a gale of laughter, none gayer than Elspie
herself.

Tea was all ready now, a perfect banquet set out with the blue dishes,
on the best white and blue tablecloth, with a tremendous glory of
asters and dahlias in a bronze jug in the middle of the table.

When everything was ready, Auntie Janet ran to the foot of the front
lawn and called a long clear "Hoo-hoo!" and from far away in the fields
a faint halloo answered.

"Gavie's coming," the three cried together joyously, and Auntie Elspie
hurried out to the wood-shed to place the blue china teapot on the
stove to warm.

"He won't be long, he always k