urrah for the old gray goose!" shouted the spectators in merry
applause.

Franz Heller rushed down from the platform, carrying two wreaths in his
hands. One was made of smilax and pink roses; the other a small wreath of
evergreens with a silver bell fastened to it. Franz dropped the rose
garland over Dorothy Morton's head. The small wreath with the bell he
placed on the neck of the old gray goose.

Exhausted, Dorothy dropped into the nearest seat. The old gray goose
wandered off toward home, led by a proud farmer's boy.

Scarcely had the laughter from the first event ceased, when the Thread
and Needle Race was called for.

Ralph Ewing was an easy winner, thanks to Mollie's skill as a seamstress.
Ralph declared the button she sewed on him should ornament his coat for
evermore.

But the Egg and Spoon Race was a closely contested event.

The race appeared to be a tie between Ambassador Morton and Mr. Winthrop
Latham.

Near-sighted Franz Heller made a brave start, but his eyes betrayed him.
Carefully carrying his egg in a spoon which he bore at arm's length,
Franz forgot to look down at his feet. He stumped his toe against a small
stone. Crash, the egg rolled from his spoon! A yellow stream marked the
place where it fell.

Mr. Latham and the Ambassador were painstaking men. They ran along, side
by side, at a gentle pace. The man who arrived first at the appointed
goal with an unbroken egg was, of course, the victor.

Unfortunately for Mr. Latham, an old habit overcame him. In the midst of
the contest he paused to adjust his glasses. The movement of his arm was
fatal. His spoon tipped and his egg rolled gently to the earth.

Still the Ambassador continued unmoved on his stately journey. With a
smile he solemnly handed an unbroken white egg to Reginald Latham.

"Here, cook this for your breakfast!" he advised Reginald, who was acting
as judge of this famous event.

Cutting a lemon with a saber, and the Dummy Race, ended the morning's
sports. The afternoon was to be devoted to riding.

CHAPTER XX

BARBARA AND BEAUTY

"Barbara, you are eating very little luncheon," Ralph Ewing whispered in
Bab's ear.

Ambassador and Mrs. Morton were entertaining a large number of friends in
the dining-room of the clubhouse.

Maud Warren smiled patronizingly across the table at Barbara.

"Are you nervous about our riding this afternoon?" Maud asked. "Mr.
Heller, do please pass Miss Thurston those sandwiches. She mu