before she could be helped to a sitting position. She was very
pale, although she laughed.

"Children, I'm really afraid,--Jean, you absurd child! how did you
throw me over so quickly? I really _am_ afraid that my ankle is
sprained. I don't think I can step on it. See if you can help me to
stand, boys, and I'll try it."

"Oh, grandma!" groaned Cricket, in horror. "Have I sprained your ankle?"

"It probably isn't bad, dear," said grandma, quickly. "At any rate, you
didn't mean to--Hush, Archie!" as that young man gave Cricket a
reproachful--

"Now you _have_ done it!"

Will and Archie, being stout, well-grown boys, easily raised grandma to
her feet, or, to her foot, rather, for she immediately found she could
not bear her weight on her left ankle, and she sat down rather suddenly
again.

"Dear me! this is a dignified position for a grandmother," she said.
"Never mind, dear. It was only an accident. Take off my shoe, please,
for my foot is swelling, I think. Archie, go for Luke, and tell him to
bring a piazza-chair, and I think you can manage to carry me in on that,
can't you? Then tell Auntie Jean that I'm here, and have sprained my
ankle, and tell her to have some arnica and bandages ready when I get
there. Why, _don't_ cry, darling," as two big tears welled up in
Cricket's gray eyes, and splashed over her cheeks, where her dimples
were entirely out of sight, at the dreadful thought that she had
sprained grandma's ankle.

In a few moments Auntie Jean came flying across the orchard, bandages
and arnica in hand, while the waitress came after with a water-pitcher.

"_Mother!_" said Mrs. Somers, in greatest surprise. "How did you manage
to fall and sprain your ankle on this perfectly level ground?"

"It's rather humiliating to confess that I was wrestling with my
granddaughter, and that she got the best of me," returned grandma,
patting Cricket's hand. "It's my first and last pugilistic performance."

"It's my fault," burst out Cricket, "and I ought to be put in jail. Will
had been showing me how to wrestle, and he had taught me such a good
twist, that I caught Archie on, and I thought I'd just show
grandma--just barely show her, auntie, and I put my foot around her
ankle, and somehow, she went right over like ninepins, and doubled up
her foot. Oh, grandma! can you ever walk again?"

Grandma's lips were getting rather white with pain from her foot, but
she laughed again, and said, brightly:

"Yes, indeed, li