have to tell."

"I suppose he thinks papa will believe his story instead of mine; and
perhaps he will," said Max a little sadly.

"No; don't you be one bit afraid of that!" cried Lulu, hotly. "Papa knows
you're a truthful boy. His children couldn't be liars!"

"But you know I can't say any more that I've never told an untruth," said
Max, coloring painfully.

"Well, you couldn't help it," Lulu said, trying to comfort him. "I'm
afraid that I might have done it myself to keep from being killed."

"Hello! here comes Jim!" cried Max with a sudden change of tone, his face
brightening wonderfully as a lad somewhat older in appearance than
himself, and carrying a fishing-rod over his shoulder, came hurrying down
a lane and joined them.

"Hello! Max," he said; "we've a splendid day for fishing, haven't we?"
Then in a whisper, "Who's this you're taking along?"

"My sister Lulu," Max answered aloud. "She'll help us dig worms for bait,
won't you, Lu?"

"Yes, if you'll let me fish a little after you've caught some."

"Good-morning, Miss Lulu," said Jim, lifting his hat.

"Good-morning," she returned, giving him a careless nod.

"It's a long walk for a girl," he remarked.

"Oh," said Max, laughing, "she's half boy; ain't you, Lu?"

"I s'pose; if you mean in walking, jumping and running. Aunt Beulah calls
me a regular tomboy. But I'd rather be that than stay cooped up in the
house all the time."

They had now left the town behind, and presently they turned from the
highway and took a narrow path that led them deep into the woods, now in
the very height of their autumnal beauty.

The sun shone brightly, but through a mellow haze; the air was deliciously
pure, cool, and bracing.

The children's pulses bounded, they laughed and jested; the boys whistled
and Lulu sang in a voice of birdlike melody.

"O Max," she said, "I wish Gracie was well and with us here!"

"Yes, so do I," he answered; "but 'tisn't likely she can ever be strong
like you and me, Lu."

"Well, I'll tell her all about it and take her all the pretty things I can
find. Oh, what a lovely place!" as they came out upon the shore of the
pond, a tiny sheet of clear still water surrounded by woods and hills
except where a rivulet entered it on one side and left it on the other.

"Yes," assented Jim, "it's a right nice place, is Miller's Pond, and has
lots of nice fish in it."

The boys laid down their rods, Lulu her basket, and all three fell to
digging