ink it _was_ something if you cut your foot
most in two, and the doctor had to come and stick it together!"

[Illustration: Squeezing Herdsgrass. Page 125.]

That silenced Fel, and I had the last word, as usual.

It was already quite late in the summer. One day Fel and I were
snuggled in the three-cornered seat in the trees, trying to squeeze
herdsgrass, to see which would be married first, when Ruthie came out
at the side door to sweep off the steps.

"Maggie 'll be pleased," said she; "but how we shall miss her little
mill-clapper of a tongue."

She was talking to 'Ria, who was going back and forth, doing something
in the kitchen.

"Yes, we shall miss her," said 'Ria; "but I shan't have her dresses
to mend. I pity poor cousin Lydia; she'll think--"

Then 'Ria's voice sounded farther off, and I did not hear what cousin
Lydia would think.

"Put your head down here, Fel Allen. I've found out something,"
whispered I, starting suddenly, and tearing my "tyer" on a nail.

"I'm going to cousin Lydia Tenney's."

"How do you know?"

"Why, didn't you hear 'Ria say she shouldn't have to mend my dresses?
That means I shan't be here, of course."

"Perhaps it means you'll be a better girl, and not tear 'em."

"O, no, it don't. 'Ria knows better 'n that. Didn't you hear her say
she pitied poor cousin Lydia? Well, it's because she'll have _me_ in
her house; and that's why 'Ria pities her."

"Then I wouldn't go to her house, if 'twill make her feel bad," said
Fel.

"O, I know what makes you say that; its because you don't want me to
go."

"Of course I don't. Who'd I have to play with?"

"Lize Jane Bean."

"H'm."

"Well, then, there's Dunie Foster; you think she's a great deal nicer
'n me."

"Now, Madge Parlin, I only said she kept her hair smoother; that's all
I said."

"Well, there's Abby Gray and Sallie Gordon," added I, well pleased
to watch the drooping of my little friend's mouth. "You can play with
them while I'm gone. And there's your own brother Gust, that _you_
think 's so much politer 'n Ned."

"You know there's nobody I like to play with so well as I do you,"
said Fel, laying her cheek against mine, and we sat a while, thinking
how dearly we did love each other. Then we saw Abner wheeling the
chaise out of the barn. I ran down the steps from the tree, and
asked,--

"Is anybody going anywhere, Abner?"

"Well, yes; I believe your pa's going over yonder," said he, pointing
off to the hills.