esides, it wouldn't surprise me if the twins made it up because they
wanted a big fuss."

"But some of the members spoke to father."

"Oh, just common members that don't count for much--and it was mighty
poor manners of 'em, too, if you'll excuse me for saying so."

"And you must admit, Fairy, that it is lovely of the Ladies' Aid to give
that dinner at the hotel for us."

"Well, they'll get their money's worth of talk out of it afterward. It's
a big mistake.--What on earth are the twins doing out there? Is that Jim
Forrest with them? Listen how they are screaming with laughter! Would
you ever believe those twins are past fifteen, and nearly through their
junior year? They haven't as much sense put together as Connie has all
alone."

"Come and see the veil," said Prudence, rising. But she dropped back on
the step again as Carol came rushing toward them at full speed, with
Lark and a tall young fellow trailing slowly, laughing, behind her.

"The mean things!" she gasped. "They cheated!" She dropped a handful of
pennies in her aunt's lap as she lay in the hammock. "We'll take 'em to
Sunday-school and give 'em to the heathen, that's what we'll do. They
cheated!"

"Yes, infant, who cheated, and how, and why? And whence the startling
array of pennies? And why this unwonted affection for the heathen?"
mocked Fairy.

"Trying to be a blank verse, Fairy? Keep it up, you haven't far to
go!--There they are! Look at them, Aunt Grace. They cheated. They tried
to get all my hard-earned pennies by nefarious methods, and--"

"And so Carol stole them all, and ran! Sit down, Jim. My, it's hot. Give
me back my pennies, Carol."

"The heathen! The heathen!" insisted Carol. "Not a penny do you get. You
see, Aunt Grace, we were matching pennies,--you'd better not mention it
to father. We've turned over a new leaf now, and quit for good. But we
were matching--and they made a bargain that whenever it was my turn, one
of them would throw heads and one tails, and that way I never could win
anything. And I didn't catch on until I saw Jim wink, and so of course I
thought it was only right to give the pennies to the heathen."

"Mercy, Prudence," interrupted Lark. "Are you doing another napkin? This
is the sixteenth dozen, isn't it? You'd better donate some of them to
the parsonage, I think. I was so ashamed when Miss Marsden came to
dinner. She opened her napkin out wide, and her finger went right
through a hole. I was mortified to death