"I don't think that is the way to mend the matter, Amy," said Jasper
gravely.

"Hoh, hoh!" exclaimed Pickering, "how you girls can go on so, I don't
see; talking forever about one thing, instead of just settling it with a
few fisticuffs. That would be comfortable now."

The girls, one and all, turned a cold shoulder to him after this speech.

"Well, we sha'n't get the picnic now, I know," said Philena tragically;
"and think of all our nice things ready. Dear me! our cook made me the
sweetest chocolate cakes, because we were going to start so early in the
morning. Now we'll have them for dinner, and eat them up ourselves. We
might as well."

"You better not," advised Pickering. "Take my advice; you'll get your
picnic all right; then where would you be with your cakes all eaten up?"

"You don't know Miss Salisbury," said Sally Moore gloomily; "nothing
would make her so mad as to have us get up a fuss with a new scholar.
She was so pleased when Polly Pepper invited that Harrison girl to come
to our bee for that poor family down South."

"And now, just think how we've initiated her into our club!" said Lucy
Bennett, with a sigh. "Oh my goodness--look!"

She pointed off down the avenue. All the girls whirled around to stare.
There were Alexia and Cathie, coming toward them arm in arm.

"Jasper"--Polly turned to him with shining eyes--"see!" Then she broke
away from them all, and rushed to meet the two girls.

"There isn't anybody going to say a word," announced Alexia, as the
three girls came up to the group, Polly Pepper in the middle, "because,
as I told you, it was all my fight, anyway. So, Pickering, you needn't
get ready to be disagreeable," she flashed over at him saucily.

"I shall say just what I think," declared Pickering flatly.

"No doubt," said Alexia sweetly, "but it won't make a bit of difference.
Well, now, Polly, what shall we do? Do start us on something."

"We came, Pick and I," announced Jasper, "to ask you girls to have a
game of bean-bags. There's just time before dinner--on the south lawn,
Polly."

"Oh, good--good!" cried the girls, clapping their hands. "Come on,
Cathie," said Philena awkwardly, determined to break the ice at once.

"Yes, Cathie, come on," said Amy and Silvia, trying to be very nice.

Cathie just got her mouth ready to say, "No, I thank you," primly,
thought better of it, and before she quite realized it herself, there
she was, hurrying by a short cut across the gra