ngly difficult. What a bewildering scene
it was! The green lawns, terraced down to the lake, were dotted with
tents and from each one floated out tantalizing hints of the delights
within. The strains of a band and the laughter of dancers drifted
forth from one; waiters with heavily laden trays passed in and out of
another; around still a third swarmed children and one glimpsed through
the open doorway a marionette show. Under a gay red umbrella at the
edge of the garden women, fluttering like multi-hued butterflies,
ladled lemonade from giant punch-bowls.

Oh, a wonderland of myriad delights beckoned in every direction and it
was only by dint of extreme severity that Mrs. McGregor succeeded in
keeping her little army in formation and preventing its neatly ranged
ranks from becoming lost in the surrounding hubbub.

"You're not to stir a step from this spot until I tell you you may,"
commanded she. "The very notion of your all racing off to enjoy
yourselves before you have so much as said a word of thanks to Mr.
Coulter who asked you here! Where are your manners? Are you forgetting
so quick that it is his wedding day? Aren't you going to wish him joy
as is proper to do when he has taken all this trouble to give you a
good time?"

Her tone was withering in its rebuke and as if hypnotized by its
cadence the wriggling children thronging in her wake stood motionless.

"In my day folks were grateful for what was done for them and expected
to say _thank you_ to their elders. Now there seems to be no such thing
as politeness among youngsters. But to-day, whether you will or no,
before you do anything else we are going to hunt up Mr. John and his
bride and every one of you is to thank him for asking you to his party.
And Tim, you and Mary and Carl are to repeat the speech I taught you. I
pray you've not forgotten it already. You hope he and his wife will
have many days as happy as this one. Remember and don't get mixed up
and say the wrong thing."

With this final caution Mrs. McGregor wheeled about and marshalled the
miniature procession following her into a vast, rose-garlanded tent at
the right of the entrance. Two aisles roped off with laurel divided it,
and throngs of people were moving down one of these and returning by
the other. In the far distance one could see a canopy of green, a
figure misty in white tulle, and a bevy of bridesmaids in pink, blue,
yellow, and lavender.

"This seems to be the right place," whisp