of the family, played a profitable tune thereon.

That night Pearl called all her family to come out and see the
sunset. The western sky was one vast blue lake, dotted with burning
boats that ever changed their form and colour; each shore of the lake
was slashed into innumerable bays, edged with brightest gold; above
this were richest shades' of pale yellow, deepening into orange,
while thick gray mountains of clouds were banked around the horizon,
bearing on their sullen faces here and there splashes of colour like
stray rose-petals.

John Watson watched it silently, and then said, more to himself than
to anyone else: "It is putty, ain't it?"

CHAPTER IX

MRS. PERKINS'S TURN

Tell you what I like the best
Long about knee-deep in June
... Some afternoon
Just to git out and rest
And not work at nothing else.

_----James Whitcomb Riley._

OUT in the poplar grove behind the house, on a fine, sunshiny
Saturday, afternoon, Pearl Watson and Billy were busy making a
hammock under Aunt Kate's directions. They had found an old barrel in
the scrub, and Aunt Kate was showing them how, with the staves, they
could make the loveliest hammock by boring two auger holes in each
end and running ropes thro' the holes.

When the hammock was completed and swung between two big trees, Pearl
ran into the house for her mother.

"Ma," she said, "we've made this hammock mostly for you, and you're
to get in first." She took a quilt and pillow off one of the beds and
brought her mother out to the hammock, which was now held down by the
four youngest boys. By a quick movement Pearl spilled them out on the
grass and, spreading the quilt on the staves, soon made her mother
comfortable.

"Now, Ma, here's where you're to come every after-noon," she said.
"Aunt Kate'll see that you do it when I'm not here to watch you; but,
anyway, I know I can trust you. Look up to the clouds and listen to
the birds and think of the nicest things you ever heard, and forget
that there ever comes holes in the little lads' pants, and forget
that you ever had to wash for other people, and just remember we've a
farm of our own and the crops' growin', and so is the garden just as
fast as if you was up watchin' it."

Aunt Kate, standing by, looked in wonder at her little niece.

"Faith, Pearlie, you have quare ways," she said. "Ye're as much like
yer Uncle Bill as if ye belonged to him. He'd have taken great
comfort out of you and yer