s morning I started out for a
ride and first thing I knew my tire burst."

A fearful "Plop!" from Dick startled them all, and then the game went
on.

"I feared I was exceeding the speed-limit [much puffing and whizzing
from Marjorie], and as I looked back through the dust [great cloud of
dust represented by Gladys' pantomime] I saw I had run over a man!"

The awful groans and wails from Kitty were so realistic that Mr. Maynard
himself shook with laughter.

"I sounded my horn----"

"Tooty-toot-toot!" said Rosy Posy, after being prompted by Kingdon.

"But as I was my own chauffeur"--here Kingdon's representation of a
starting motor quite drowned the speaker's voice--"I hastened on before
they could even get my number."

"Eight-six-eleven-nine," cried Dorothy, quite forgetting the numbers she
had been told. But nobody minded it, for just then Mr. Maynard said,
"And so I went home with my automobile."

At this everybody turned up at once, and the dust cloud flew about, and
the man who was run over groaned fearfully, and tires burst one after
another, and the horn tooted, until Mr. Maynard was really obliged to
cry for mercy, and the game was at an end.

The afternoon, too, was nearly at an end, and so quickly had it flown
that nobody could believe it was almost six o'clock!

But it was, and it was time for the picnic to break up, and for the
little guests to go home. It had stopped raining, but was still dull and
wet, so the raincoats were donned again, and, with their beautiful
baskets of candies wrapped in protecting tissue papers, Gladys and
Dorothy and Dick clambered into Mr. Maynard's carriage and were driven
to their homes.

"Good-bye!" they called, as they drove away. "Good-bye, all! We've had a
_lovely_ time!"

"Lovely? I should say so!" said Marjorie, who was clinging to her
father's arm. "It's been the very best Ourday ever, and I'm _so_ glad it
rained!"

"My prophecy has come true!" declared Mr. Maynard, striking a dramatic
attitude. "Only this morning I prognosticated you'd say that, and
you----"

"And I didn't see how it could be possible," agreed Marjorie, wagging
her head, wisely. "I know it. But you made it possible, you beautiful,
dear, smart, clever, sweet father, you, and I've had just the elegantest
time!"

"When it's my turn, I shall choose a picnic in the house," said Kitty.

"Not unless it's a rainy day," said her father. "I've enjoyed the day,
too, but I can tell you it's no jok