th a spirited bang.

The girl listened to her retreating footsteps and smiled softly. It was
nothing new for Ellen to be sending her to the village to transact the
business she no longer felt able to attend to herself, but the subterfuges
to which she resorted to conceal her real motive were amusing. Lucy knew
well that to-day, if it had not been the cream separator, something else
equally important would have furnished the excuse for keeping her aunt at
home. It seemed so foolish not to be honest about the matter. To pursue
any other method, however, would have been quite foreign to Ellen's
policy, and therefore Lucy, although not blinded by these devices to hide
the truth, always pretended she was, and earnestly condoned with the old
woman about the rebellious potato sprayer, the obstinate pump, or whatever
other offending object chanced to be selected as the plea for casting her
cares on younger shoulders.

The trip to the village was tiresome; of that there was no
doubt,--especially on a day that promised to be as hot as this one.
Already tremors of heat vibrated upward in waves from the piazza roof, and
the sun's scorching rays pierced between the closed blinds. Nevertheless,
Lucy did not regret the prospect of the morning's excursion. She so seldom
had an opportunity to leave the house that any break in the monotony of
her days, uncomfortable though it might be, was a welcome diversion.

Therefore she hurried her dressing and breakfast, and while dawn was still
on the threshold, set off with Tony in the dust-covered surrey that
creaked its way along behind the stumbling gray mare.

The coolness of night was over the awakening earth, although the mounting
sun was speedily drinking up the dew and rousing the locusts into droning
song. Not a leaf stirred. Through the shimmering atmosphere the valley,
with its river yellow as a band of molten gold, lay listless in drowsy
haze; but the birds, butterflies, and bees flitted among the flowers that
bordered the roadside with an alertness which proved that they, at least,
felt no lessening of zest for their honey gathering.

"It's goin' to be an almighty hot day," observed Tony who, after slapping
Dolly's broad back several times with the reins, had decided that further
attempts to accelerate the mare's pace was useless.

"Yes, very hot."

"I hope your aunt won't go pullin' that separator all to pieces while
we're gone," the boy grumbled. "In the first place she ain't