who was thus exploding in
West Falls.

"Stop! I have it!" cried the wild girl, a flash of triumph passing over
her face. "Run into the house, Susy, and ask your mother to come out
here. Your 'help' must not hear what is said."

Susy ran into the house on her errand, stopping once, as she turned the
corner, to look around and satisfy herself whether Cousin Joe had not
escaped from some lunatic asylum. While she was gone, Joe sat in the
swing alone and did some energetic thinking; but twice, before the old
lady came, she endorsed her plan with: "Yes, that will do. That _must_
do!"

Directly Aunt Betsey came out to the swing, her arms floured to the
elbows, having been interrupted in the midst of the divine mysteries of
moulding cherry-dumplings, for the Sunday dinner. But she did not look
the less amiable and good-natured for the interruption, as many good
housewives might have done.

"Aunt," said Josephine, grasping her by the hand, in spite of the flour.
"Aunt, I want you to do a good and benevolent action, at once."

"Well, I will try, my child!" said the good woman. "That is, if it _is_
a good action that you want me to do. But you know, Josey, that you are
a bit of a rattle-brain."

"Yes, well, I think that I may have heard that observation before," said
Miss Josey. "However, I can live through it. Aunt, I will tell you
_why_, by-and-bye when there is more time,--but I have a reason, that
may be one of life and death, for what I ask. I want you to believe in
the weight of my reasons at once, and to help me get Mary Crawford from
the big house yonder, over _here_, immediately."

"Why, she does not come here now-a-days; and what can you want of her?"
asked Aunt Betsey.

"There you go, Aunt!" said Joe. "You are not doing what I asked you to
do. I tell you there are reasons why I must see Mary Crawford to-day,
and with no one, outside of this house, knowing that I do so."

"She is right, mother," said Susan. "She has told me what she means,
and she ought to see her at once. Do help her--pray do!" These dear
little innocent people who are happy in their own love-affairs, have a
marvellous faculty of falling into the needs of others, and God bless
them for it!

"But how?" asked Aunt Betsey.

"Oh, _I_ don't know," said Susan. "Cousin Josey knows."

"I only know one plan to get her here without suspicion," said
Josephine. "To do that we must tell a falsehood, but only for an hour."

"Oh, I cannot tell a fals