e big farmhouse were a vernal green and the garden
displayed many promising rows of spring vegetables.

The girls were up early and swept the great porch all the way around the
house, and set several comfortable old chairs out where they would catch
the morning sun for the early risers.

The earliest of the boarders to appear was Harris Colesworth, wrapped in
a long raincoat and carrying a couple of bath towels over his arm.

"I found a fine swimming hole up yonder in the brook where it comes
through the back of the farm," he declared to the sisters. "It's going to
be pretty cold, I know; but nothing like a beginning. I hope to get a
plunge in that brook every morning that I am up here."

And he went away cheerfully whistling. A moment later 'Phemie saw
Professor Spink dart out of the side door and peer after the departing
Harris, around a corner of the house. The professor did not know that
he was observed. He shook his head, scowled, stamped his foot, and
finally ran in for his hat and followed upon Harris's track.

"He's suspicious of everybody who goes up there to the rocks," thought
'Phemie. "What under the sun is it Spink's got up there?"

Later in the day--it was an hour or more before their usual Sunday dinner
time--something else happened which quite chased the professor's odd
actions out of 'Phemie's mind--and it gave the rest of the household
plenty to talk about, too.

The procession of carriages going to Cornell Chapel had passed some time
since when another vehicle was spied far down the road toward Bridleburg.
A faint throbbing in the air soon assured the watchers on Hillcrest that
this was an automobile.

Not many autos climbed this stiff hill to Adams; there was a longer
and better road which did not touch Bridleburg and the Pounder's Brook
District at all. But this big touring car came pluckily up the hill,
and it did not slow down until it reached the bottom of the Hillcrest lane.

There were several people in the car, and one, a lithe and active youth,
leaped out and ran up the lane. Plainly he came to ask a question, for
he dashed across the front yard toward where the family party were sitting
on the porch.

"Oh, I say," he began, doffing his cap to the girls, "can you tell a
fellow----"

His gaze had wandered, and now his speech trailed off into silence and his
eyes grew as large as saucers. He was staring at the placidly-knitting
Mrs. Castle, who sat listening to the Professor's boomi