he's hurt! She's dreadful hurt!"

Unhappy Mr. Winters set his teeth and his lips were grim. "If ever I'm
so misguided as to engineer another young folks' House Party, I
hope----"

He didn't express this "hope" but stooped and with utmost tenderness
lifted Mabel to her feet. She had begun to rally from the shock of her
fall and opened her eyes again, while the pallor that had banished her
usual rosiness began to yield to the returning circulation. Already
many hands were outstretched to help, some with the dipper from the
well, others with dripping wooden plates whereon their luncheon had
been packed. Mabel pushed the plates aside, fretfully, explaining as
soon as she could speak:

"If that gets on my clothes--they're so dusty--Oh! what made me--Oh!
oh! A-ah!"

Then she began to laugh and cry alternately, as the misfortune and its
absurdity fully appeared, and Helena saw that the girl was fast
becoming hysterical. Evidently, in their wearer's eyes, the beautiful
frock now so badly smirched and the white gloves which had split
asunder in her fall were treasures beyond compute, and Helena herself
loved pretty clothes. She felt a keen sympathy in that and another
respect--she had suffered from hysteria and always went prepared for
an emergency. Stepping quietly to Mabel's side, she waved aside the
other eager helpers, saying:

"I'm going to ride back in the landau, Alfy, please take my place in
the cart. Here, Mabel, swallow a drop of this medicine. 'Twill set you
right at once."

Her movements and words were as decided as they were quiet and Mabel
unconsciously obeyed. She submitted to be helped back into the
carriage and as Helena took the empty seat beside her, Ephraim drove
swiftly away.

Thus ignored the dripping twins stared ruefully after the vanishing
vehicle and Mr. Seth looked as ruefully at them. But Molly begged:

"Let them go in the cart with us. Alfy's frock and mine will wash,
even if they soil us. One can ride between Jim and me and Melvin and
Alfy must look after the other. Let's choose. I take Ananias. I just
love boys!"

"Be sure you've chosen one then," laughed Jim as he rather gingerly
picked up one infant and placed it behind the dashboard. He had on his
own Sunday attire and realized the cost of it, so objected almost as
strongly as Mabel had done to contact with this well-soused youngster.
"Say, sonny, what made you tumble in the brook? Don't you know this is
Sunday?"

"Yep. Didn't tum