and started to comb her hair. This was always a
difficult task. The comb that went through those long locks so
smoothly when manipulated by some one else, encountered many snarls,
and Alene was glad when Kizzie came back to relieve her. A vigorous
brushing and curling soon brought the refractory hair to the required
state, and the glossy brown curls were finally tied at the nape of her
neck with a bow of blue ribbon.

She was too excited to eat her breakfast; it was only Kizzie's reminder
that, "Mr. Fred will ask if you ate a good breakfast. He will be
displeased if you don't," that induced her to partake of anything.

She had scarcely finished her bowl of milk and crackers when the big
gate clanged through the still air, then came a medley of gay voices;
the walk resounded beneath the tread of light footsteps, and Prince's
sonorous bark gave forth a challenge.

"There they come!"

"Here they are!" Alene rushed from the table.

She paused for a moment in the open doorway in sheer amazement and then
she gave a peal of laughter.

"No wonder Prince was scared!" she cried.

For there stood the girls with their sunbonnets drawn over their faces,
and their skirts spread out to display each rent and patch, of which
there were not a few. Laura put one foot forward that a dilapidated
shoe, from which her toes peeped, might not escape notice, and Ivy
seemed proud of a pocket, turned inside out, that was apparently all
holes.

A snickering sound came from the depths of the bonnets and then their
laughter rang out loud and long.

"We had rehearsed a speech about tramping along the tracks all night,
but I couldn't say a word to save my life when I saw your bewildered
face!" explained Ivy when their mirth had subsided.

"You poor girl!" remarked Laura with a commiserating glance at Alene's
neat blue gingham gown with its trimming of fancy braid; "is that the
'very worstest' you could scare up?"

"Kizzie helped me to look through my trunk and wardrobe and we couldn't
find a thing plainer. I looked it over but there's not a tear in it!
I might have sewed a patch on, but that would have been make-believe!"

Alene's tone was disconsolate.

"Well, never mind, come along! There's Hugh waiting near the gate and
Mat's minding the rig! You needn't take your hat, I brought Nettie's
bonnet; it will do fine. It's too big for her!"

They ran along the walk and scrambled into the surrey. The girls took
the back seat,