,
burst into tears.

However, a moment later, Tish drew up first one limb and then the other,
and observed that her back was broken. She then mentioned that Aggie was
to have her cameo set and the dining room sideboard, and that I was to
have the automobile, but the next instant she felt a worm on her neck
and sat up, looking rather dishevelled, but far from death.

"Where are you hurt, Tish?" I asked, trembling.

"Everywhere," she replied. "Everywhere, Lizzie. Every bone in my body is
broken."

But after a time the aching localized itself in her right arm, which
began to swell. We led her down to the creek and got her to hold it in
the cold water and Aggie, being still nervous and unsteady, slipped on a
mossy stone and sat down in about a foot of water. It was then that our
dear Tish became like herself again, for Aggie was shocked into saying,
"Oh, damn!" and Tish gave her a severe lecture on profanity.

Tish was quite sure her arm was broken, as well as all the ribs on one
side. But she is a brave woman and made little fuss, although she kept
poking a finger into her flesh here and there.

"Because," she said, "the First Aid book says that if a lung is
punctured the air gets into the tissues, and they crackle on pressure."

It was soon after this that I saw Aggie, who had made no complaint about
Tish falling on her, furtively testing her own tissues to see if they
crackled.

Leaving my injured there by the creek, I went back to the tree and
secured my paling again. By covering it with straw from the barn I was
quite sure I could make a comfortable splint for Tish's arm. However, I
had but just reached the barn and was preparing to crawl through a
window by standing on a rain barrel when I saw Tish limping after me.

"Well?" she said. "What idiotic idea is in your head, Lizzie? Because if
it is more eggs----"

"I am going to get some straw and make a splint."

"Nonsense. What for?"

"What do you suppose I intend it for?" I demanded, tartly. "To trim a
hat?"

"I won't have a splint."

"Very well," I retorted. "Then I shall get some straw and start a fire
to dry Aggie out."

"You'll stick in that window," Tish said, in what, in a smaller woman,
would have been a vicious tone.

"Look here, Tish," I said, balancing on the edge of the rain barrel, "is
there something in this barn you do not wish me to see?"

She looked at me steadily.

"Yes," she said. "There is, Lizzie. And I'll ask you to promise