-Janet refused to decide. "Let's ask Auntie Mogs."

"No, let's make up our own minds," Phyllis insisted. "If we were only
at Old Chester we could have a picnic."

"But there'd be no one to go to it but Harry Waters and the Blakes,"
Janet reminded her.

"That's right, I forgot Peter and Jack are at school; but anyhow a
picnic would be fun."

"Where could you have one around here?" Janet demanded, practical as
ever.

Phyllis looked at her disapprovingly.

"Jan, you're a wet blanket!" she exclaimed.

"I'm not. I'm only trying to be sensible."

"Well, stop; it's too gorgeous a day to be anything but happy, so don't
let's bother about that stupid party any more."

"What party was ever stupid, may I ask?" a voice inquired from above
them, and they looked up to see Mr. Keith.

They made room for him on the bench, and he sat down between them.

"Tell me about the stupid party," he invited.

"It isn't one really," Janet explained; "it's just going to be."

"We're going to give it," Phyllis continued, "and it's going to be
stupid because we can't think of anything to do that hasn't been done a
million times before."

Mr. Keith's eyes twinkled, but he answered very gravely:

"I see."

"A picnic would be wonderful this weather, but there's no place to have
a picnic in the city," Phyllis went on dejectedly.

"Quite so," Mr. Keith agreed; "let's all think for two minutes and then
see who has an idea."

They thought, and at the end of the two minutes he said,

"Any ideas?"

"Not a one."

"Worse than ever."

Mr. Keith smiled and stood up.

"Then I have a suggestion to make," he said. "When is this party to
be?"

"A week from yesterday," Phyllis told him.

"Then don't make any plans until you hear from me. I will think hard
all day, and to-morrow sometime I will call you up, and now I must go
and find Don. I promised to watch him sail his boat." He lifted his
silk hat and walked away, humming a little tune.

"I like him, ever so much," Janet said as she watched him.

"I adore him!" Phyllis exclaimed. "He's a perfect darling, but then
he's Don's father, so he'd have to be."

The promised 'phone message did not come until Monday evening after
dinner. The girls made up their minds that he had forgotten all about
them, and had started new plans.

Phyllis answered the 'phone.

"Am I speaking to the Page twins!" a voice asked.

"Part of them," Phyllis laughed.

"Well, I have a message for t