ated Dunham,
looking pensively at the heaped-up dish on Miss Martha's right, "it
seems almost a sacrilege to eat them."

"Aunt Martha, he didn't pick a pint!" protested Sylvia. "He ought not
to have one."

"Ask her what she did," returned John. "She has a sylph-like, aesthetic
appearance, but I give you my word she has the most epicurean eye. She
hasn't left a prize berry in those fields. Have you seen her booty?"

"No. What does he mean, Sylvia?"

"He means to distract attention from his own laziness, that's all."

"No, I don't. I mean to have some of those rotund berries of yours.
Don't you, Edna? I'll wager she hasn't thrown them in with this common
lot. Have you, now?"

Sylvia laughed and colored. "No," she answered.

"Then get them," said John. "They'll be good for nothing cold. Besides,
I want Miss Lacey to see them. Where are they?"

Sylvia continued to smile and keep her eyes downcast, just glancing up
toward Edna, who answered for her.

"Under a glass case up in her room, probably. I told you she was going
to make a necklace of them. Anyway, _you_ certainly don't deserve one.
It is just as Sylvia said, Miss Martha, he shirked in that field in a
manner that was painful to witness."

"Well, he has so far to stoop," returned Miss Martha, looking at Dunham
approvingly. "It must be hard for him."

"Oh, you don't know him," retorted Edna. "There's nothing he won't
stoop to. He came with us and picked about ten berries, and then"--

"Miss Lacey," interrupted John, "you are so right-minded it will be a
pleasure to tell you what happened. Before luncheon I went swimming
with our guide, philosopher, and friend. Then such was the evil
suspicion of these girls that they wouldn't take me to get berries
until we had eaten luncheon. We then proceeded to demolish everything
in sight except the boxes. I think Benny ate those. After that I felt
as though I could snatch a few winks, but as no one of the party was
wearing black stockings except the guide, philosopher, and friend, I
relinquished that idea."

Miss Lacey looked up questioningly, blinking through her glasses, but
the speaker proceeded:--

"Moreover, the girls wouldn't give me time to try. They dragged me out
into the field and made me carry all the pails. They were willing
enough while the things were empty! Well, I'd been patiently laboring
about ten minutes when I began to realize how unreasonable it was for
me to be taking a Turkish bath after the