how good they did look,
Mary Jane thought!) on a long table that stretched across the back of
the yard. Other women were unpacking baskets of tempting looking cakes
and cutting them up into pieces ready for serving.

Grandmother took one basket of berries out of the back of the car and
Grandfather took the other and they walked over to the table, Mary Jane
following meekly behind.

"This is my little great granddaughter, Mary Jane Merrill," said
Grandmother to the lady in charge, "and as she's never been to a
strawberry sociable before, I'm going to look after her till she gets
used to things--you've plenty of help here anyway."

"Glad to meet you, Mary Jane," answered the lady and Mary Jane made her
prettiest courtesy, "you'll like the sociable better when the lanterns
are lighted and the other little girls come. Don't you want to come
and eat some cake crumbs now?"

Much as Mary Jane liked cake crumbs, she didn't fancy staying with the
strange people when she might be with her grandmother, so she hung back
shyly and Grandmother declined the offer for her.

"I think we'll walk around first, thank you, Miss Oliver," said she,
"and get our little girl to feeling more at home."

Mary Jane liked the walking around and watching the busy folks at their
curious work. And, before she hardly realized it, twilight had set in,
men had lighted the gay Japanese lanterns and the yard had become full
of jolly people--the strawberry sociable had begun.

Grandfather hunted up Helen Loiter, a pretty little black haired girl
and Frances Westland to whom Mary Jane took a fancy at once. She wore
a plain little white dress and a big blue hair ribbon and seemed so
kind and pleasant to the little stranger. Helen, on the other hand,
was dressed in a much trimmed and be-ruffled frock and seemed to feel
far too dressed up to be natural.

"I'm going to get you girls your berries," said Grandfather, as he
settled them at a table over to one side where they could sit as long
as they liked and eat and visit, "and if you want more cake, just let
me know."

"Let's hurry and eat this up so he'll get us some more," said Helen.
"I've got a dime of my own and if he gets us another dish, that'll make
three times!"

"Oh, let's eat slow and talk," said Frances, "no use hurrying, maybe we
won't want three dishes. Is your mother here, too, Mary Jane?"

"No," answered Mary Jane, "but my sister's coming next week and my
mother's coming before