ly.

"Let us begin to ascend directly, and then we shall have more time for
playing," interposed Betty, intent on keeping the peace.

"The president leads the way, of course!" exclaimed Madge, planting her
toe in one of the niches of the wall. "I suppose both of you are
obliged to use all the steps," she added carelessly. "I am so tall
that I can stretch two at a time."

"So can I!" chimed in John; "it's only Betty who can't reach. Just get
out of the way and I'll show you what I can do."

He immediately lifted his foot to the level of his chin, grabbed wildly
at a projecting stone far above his head, missed it, and fell heavily
on his back in a tuft of sting-nettles.

There was a good deal of confusion. Both the girls very kindly tried
to help their brother up, and were naturally rather indignant when he
hit out wildly at them, under the mistaken impression that they had
pushed him down. Then they all stung their hands, and there was a long
argument about who ought to have cleared the sting-nettles away from
under the tree. But the simple idea of making up for past neglect by
doing it now did not occur to any of them.

At last Madge recalled them all to their senses by declaring that she
saw old Barton, the farm-man, in the distance, carrying the milk-pails.
Though he was two fields off there could be no mistake, because he kept
the pails so brightly polished that they glittered like diamonds in the
sun. And he never started to milk the cows until the stable clock had
struck four, so his appearance was a positive proof that the afternoon
was passing rapidly by.

"I say, it's nearly tea-time! And I thought we had only just finished
dinner! I do believe holiday afternoons are much shorter than others!"
exclaimed John.

He was so overcome by this discovery that he allowed Madge to mount the
grand staircase without interruption. But she did not avail herself of
the rare chance of making a dignified welcoming speech to the younger
ones as they climbed up behind her, for at that moment she was seized
by a new idea of such importance that she was almost choked with
anxiety to impart it at once to the others.

"This building is open!" she shouted impatiently. "And come on
quickly, you two! I want to tell--"

"That's not the way people open things!" interrupted John. "It takes a
much longer time than that. You ought to say its name, and make a
speech about what it will be used for. Oughtn't she, Betty