nd anything around here that would suit,
so we looked, over there. It's just a pile of rubbish, and we knew
they wouldn't mind."

"Else you would not have taken it, eh? Anything like apples, for
instance, is quite under the ban."

"Yes, indeed," smiled Lark. "We're too old to steal apples."

"Of course," added Carol. "When we need our neighbor's apples, we send
Connie. And get nicely punished for it, too, I promise you."

"Quite so! And this exquisite board?"

"Well, we've found a perfectly gorgeous place up in the old tree where
we can make a seat. It's quite a ways out from the trunk, and when the
wind blows it swings splendidly. But it isn't very comfortable sitting
on a thin limb, and so we want a seat. It's a fine place, I tell you.
We thought you could nail this securely on to the limbs,--there are two
right near each other, evidently put there on purpose for us. See what
dandy big nails we have!"

"From the Avery's woodshed, I suppose," he suggested, smiling again.

"Oh, they are quite rusty. We found them in a sack in an old barrel.
It was in the scrap heap. We're very good friends with the Averys,
very good, indeed," she continued hastily. "They allow us to rummage
around at will--in the barn."

"And see this rope," cried Carol. "Isn't it a dandy?"

"Ah! The Avery barn must be inexhaustible in its resources."

"How suspicious you are, Jerry," mourned Lark.

"I wish we were that way, instead of innocent and bland and trustful.
Maybe we would get rich, too. This is the first time I ever really
understood how you came to be a success in business."

"But you are quite wrong this time," said Lark seriously. "Old Mr.
Avery gave me this rope."

"Yes, he did! Lark told him she was looking for a rope just exactly
like this one, and then he gave it to her. He caught the idea of
philanthropy right away. He's a very nice old gentleman, I tell you.
He's so trusting and unsuspicious. I'm very fond of people like that."

"We thought when you had the board nicely nailed on, you might rope it
securely to the limbs above. They are in very good position, and that
will make it absolutely safe. Do you suppose you can do that, Jerry?
Do you get seasick when you climb high?"

"Oh, no, high altitudes never make me seasick. I've a very good head
for such purposes."

"Then suppose you get busy before it grows dark. We're in a great
hurry. And we do not want Connie to catch us putting it up.