J.
Elfreda. To aid and sustain you, as it were."

"Yes, sustain me by making me laugh and running us all into the ditch. I
know just how sustaining you can be. Never mind. I'll forgive your
slighting remarks about me, and give you the vacant place on the front
seat. Now, good people," she put on the business-like expression of an
auctioneer, "who bids for the back seat of the Briggs' vehicle?"

"Every one is welcome to it except the Emerson twins," put in Emma. "I
dislike having them sit behind me. I prefer to sit behind them, but as I
can't sit on the front seat and the back seat at the same time, it would
really be better to put the twins in the Thayer chariot."

"We are going to ride with J. Elfreda," was Sara Emerson's defiant
ultimatum.

"I'll sit between you and preserve the peace," volunteered Miriam.

"And me at the same time," added Emma hopefully. "Twins, do your worst.
Sit where you choose. Miriam will protect me." Emma tottered toward
Miriam, looking abjectly grateful and supremely ludicrous.

"That leaves Grace, Anne and Ruth to me," declared Arline. "Now let's
hurry, girls. The sooner we reach Picnic Hollow the longer we'll have to
stay."

The ride to Picnic Hollow was not a long one, but the picnickers were
highly alive to every moment of it.

"We'll have to turn in here and take the road to the left," called
Elfreda over her shoulder. They had reached a point where a narrower
road crossed the highway and wound around the hills, sloping gradually
at the lowest point, into the very heart of the little valley, which
looked particularly cool and inviting.

"All right," caroled Arline. "Lead the way and we'll follow."

Slowly the two cars, propelled by two extremely careful chauffeurs,
wound their way down the country road which, according to Elfreda, was
just wide enough and no wider.

"Bumpity bump, even to the bottom of the hollow, and no bones broken,"
announced Emma Dean, with a cheerful wave of her hand, as she hopped out
of the car, and proceeded to assist the Emerson twins to alight with a
great show of ceremony.

"What a perfectly darling spot!" was Arline's joyous exclamation. "Just
see that cunning brook! It's so pretty where it ripples past that old
tree. It doesn't look deep, either. I'm going in wading. See if I
don't."

"What shall we do first, girls?" Grace, who had been walking ahead with
Arline, a luncheon hamper swinging between them, suddenly turned and
faced the others,