s eyes insisted on turning
to where Miss Sally moved about the cloth spread on the grass; the
tablecloth on which green bugs and black bugs and brown bugs were
already parading, as bugs always do at a picnic. Occasionally he
stroked his sandy-gray whiskers, and whenever she turned her face in his
direction he cast his eyes upon his book, but he could not read.

He hoped he would have the good fortune to be seated next to Miss Sally
when the lunch time came, and he had little doubt that he would be near
her, for it was likely that he and she, being strangers, would be put
near the minister. He closed the book, seeing at length that it was
impossible for him to read it, and, as the men began to bring the
cushions from the buggies and place them around the cloth, he arose and
went to bring his own to add to the supply. As he reached the fence, a
barefoot boy, mounted on a horse with no other saddle than a blanket,
came galloping down the road, and stopped before him.

"Say," said the boy, wide-eyed with importance, "is Sally Briggs in
there?"

Eliph' said she was.

"Well, say," said the boy, "she's got to go home to Kilo, right away.
Her dad telephoned up, and he don't know whether he's dying or not, and
she's got to go right home."

Eliph' turned and hurried to where Miss Sally was standing.

"I hope it ain't nothing serious, Miss Briggs," he said, "but that boy
has come to give you a message that come by telephone. I think your
father ain't well."

Miss Sally dropped the cake she was holding, and ran to the fence.

"What is it?" she gasped.

"Well," said the boy, "my dad was in the post office just now, and the
telephone bell rang, and he looked around to see where Julius was,
and Julius he had gone outside to see what Mr. Fogarty, from up to the
Corners, wanted. I don't know what he wanted. Pa didn't tell me. I don't
know as pa knew, anyway, but I guess he wanted something, or else he
wouldn't have motioned Julius to go out, unless he just wanted to talk
to Julium. Mebby he just wanted to ask Julius if there was any mail for
him. So pa answered the telephone."

"Well, what did it say?" asked Miss Sally impatiently.

"You've got a pa, haven't you?" asked the boy.

"Yes," said Miss Sally.

"Well, has he got false teeth?" asked the boy.

"Yes," said Miss Sally more impatiently.

"Well, that's all right, then," said the boy. "Pa couldn't tell exactly
whether it was false teeth or not, the telephone at the