the
others in the back yard after her practice hour was over. She had spent
so much of the hour wondering what her mother was going to do to her,
that the hour had really slipped away rather quickly.

The three boys had the brick part of the furnace all done when she
appeared. They were carefully fitting into place the rusty piece of
stove-pipe which was the crowning glory of the structure. Katy and
Gertie were seated on an old barrel turned over on its side, watching
the process. They made room for Chicken Little between them.

Ernest got to his feet after the stove-pipe was snugly set with a grunt
of satisfaction.

"Frank said we'd better wait for half an hour before we started a fire
to let the mortar dry. The sun's pretty hot. Maybe it won't take quite
so long today."

"Let's play tag while we wait," suggested Katy.

"Bet I can roll you girls off that barrel," said Sherm with mischief in
his eye.

"Bet you can't."

"I'll help you, Sherm."

"No you don't, Ernest--Sherm said he could--he's got to do it alone."

Chicken Little perked up at the prospect of a tussle. "I'll sit the
other way, Katy. You and Gertie brace your feet against the ground--just
as hard. Move the barrel a little and I can put mine against the
chopping logs; there that's fine."

Sherm was about fifteen feet away and he made a dash to stop these
preparations. But the little girls were planted firmly before he could
interfere.

He was a stout lad but he found the rolling process more difficult than
he had imagined. The other boys hovered around eager to take a hand and
offering unasked suggestions.

"Lift up one end--that'll heave them off."

"You said roll, Sherm Dart!" squealed Katy as she felt the barrel gently
rising under her.

"That's right, Sherm, you did," put in Ernest who was usually fair.

Sherm disgustedly lowered the barrel, rubbing his hands together
preparatory to another shove.

The little girls gloated.

"H-m-m--wasn't so easy as you thought it would be--was it?" jeered
Chicken Little.

"You can't do it, Smarty," Katy shied a chip at him.

Gertie kicked her heels against the barrel in glee and said nothing.

"Before I'd let the girls get ahead of me!" Carol and Ernest joined in
the chorus of derision.

"Sherm Dart beaten by the girls!"

Sherm gritted his teeth and settled down to business. He pulled--he
pushed--he jerked, but the little maids succeeded in maintaining some
sort of balance. He couldn't g