thought you could make me laugh, did
you? No, sir, you couldn't."

Now while the folding doors were closed, a new set of pictures was made;
the bell tinkled again, and the game went on as before.

There hung the same six frames in the same places upon the gray wall;
but the portraits were new, and very effective, though some of them
laughed as soon as the opened doors revealed them to the spectators.
This time, by way of variety, each frame as soon as vacated was filled
with another portrait in full view of the company. When the emptied
frame happened to be on the lower part of the gray wall, the new
"picture" had only to stand or kneel upon the carpet behind the frame,
but if it happened to be higher up, he or she was obliged to climb upon
a chair or table behind it, or even a ladder, whichever might be
necessary to enable the picture to appear at the proper place.

For this gray wall, you must know, was but a large straight curtain of
dark cotton stuff, without any fulness, stretched tightly across the
doorway behind the sliding doors, and with large square or oblong pieces
cut out of it here and there. Each open space thus left was bordered
with a strip of gilt paper, thus forming an empty picture-frame. Don and
Dorry had made the whole thing themselves the day before, and they were
therefore very happy at the success of the picture-gallery, and the fun
it created. They had ingeniously provided the highest pictures with
small, dark curtains, fastened above the back of the frames, and hanging
loosely enough to be drawn behind the living pictures, so as to form
backgrounds. A draped clothes-horse answered the same purpose for the
lower pictures. All of this explanation and more was given by Don and
Dorry at the house-picnic to eager listeners who wished to get up
exactly such a picture-gallery at their own homes some evening. But
while they were talking about it somebody at the piano struck up a
march--"Mendelssohn's Wedding March"--and almost before they knew it the
guests found themselves marching to the music two by two in a procession
across the great square hall, now lighted by a bright blaze in its open
fireplace.

[Illustration: THE LAST VIEW OF THE PICTURE-GALLERY.]

Donald and Dorry joined the merry line, wondering what was about to
happen--when to their great surprise (ah, that sly Uncle George! and
that innocent Liddy!) the double doors leading into the dining-room were
flung open, and there, sparkling