re head, which
gleamed in the sun like burnt gold.

"Panoria Swan has red hair," said she,--"fire-red; but mine is auburn."

"O, I only wanted to make you speak, Grace; that will do."

"Here we are at the woods," said Mr. Clifford. He had once owned a
neighboring lot, and his pecan trees had been fenced around to protect
them from the impertinent swine; but now the party were going into the
heart of the forest.

The pecan trees were tall, somewhat like maples, with the nuts growing
on them in shucks, after the manner of walnuts. These shucks, if left
till the coming of frost, would have opened of themselves, and scattered
the nuts to the ground; but our friends preferred to gather a few
bushels before they were perfectly ripened, rather than lose them
altogether.

As the easiest method, Mr. Clifford said they might as well fell a
tree, for he had a right to do so. He had brought an axe in his
carriage; and Mr. Parlin, whose good right arm had never been injured in
the war, soon brought a noble tree to the ground.

Then there was a scrambling to see which should break off the most
shucks. Dotty sat down on a log, half afraid there might be a snake
lurking under it, and picked with all her might.

[Illustration: GOING NUTTING.--Page 131.]

"We don't have any pecans at Deering's Oaks," she thought, "and nothing
but shells at the Islands. I only wish Prudy was here. Prudy would think
I had a little temper at Horace just now; I wonder if he did. I will
show him I am sorry; for he _is_ a good boy, and a great deal more
'style' and polite than Percy."

"What makes our little darling look so dismal?" said Cassy, taking a
seat beside Dotty Dimple.

"O, I was thinking a great _many_ things! I'm so far off, Cassy! When I
think of that, I want to scream right out. Prudy's at home, and I'm
here! I don't want to be so far off".

"But only think, dear, how much you will have to tell when you get home;
and in such a little while too."

Dotty was instantly consoled, for a crowd of recollections rushed into
her mind of wonderful events which had occurred since she parted from
Prudy. The "far off" feeling left her as she thought of the stories she
should have to tell to admiring listeners one of these days.

When it was time for dinner, Mrs. Clifford spread a table-cloth on the
ground, and covered it with the nice food she had brought. It was a
delightful entertainment. Flyaway was so nearly wild with the new
experience o