ss to the south lawn.

"I'm going to stay with Alexia," said Polly, when they all reached
there, and Jasper flew over to pull out the bean-bags from their box
under the piazza. "Come on, Alexia, let's you and I sit in the hammock
and watch it."

"Oh Polly, come and play," begged Jasper, pausing with his arms full.
"Here, Pick, you lazy dog. Help with these bags."

"Can't," said Polly, shaking her head. So Alexia and she curled up in
one of the hammocks.

"I'm just dying to tell you all about it, Polly Pepper," said Alexia,
pulling Polly's cheek down to her own.

"Yes," said Polly happily, "and I can't wait to hear it; and besides,
you can't play bean-bags, Alexia, with that arm. Well, do go on," and
Polly was in quite a twitter for the story to begin.

"You see," said Alexia, "I knew something desperate had got to be done,
Polly, for she was crying all over her best silk waist."

"Oh dear me!" exclaimed Polly, aghast.

"Yes; she had sat down on the kitchen step."

"The kitchen step," repeated Polly faintly.

"Yes. I suppose she got beyond caring whether the cook saw or not, she
was feeling so very badly. Well, there she was, and she didn't hear me,
so I just rushed up, or rather down upon her, and then I screamed 'Ow!'
And she jumped up, and said, 'Oh, have you hurt your arm?' And I held on
to it hard, and made up an awful face, oh, as bad as I could, and
doubled up; and the cook came to the door, and said could she get me
anything, and she was going to call Mrs. Fisher. That would have been
terrible." Alexia broke off short, and drew a long breath at her
remembrance of the fright this suggestion had given her. "And Cathie
fell right on my neck with, 'Oh, do forgive me,' and I said 'twas my
fault, and she said, no, she oughtn't to have got mad, and I said she
must hold her tongue."

"Oh Alexia!" cried Polly reprovingly.

"I had to," said Alexia serenely, "or we should have gotten into another
fight. And she said she would, and I just took hold of her arm, and
dragged her down here. And I'm tired to death," finished Alexia
plaintively.

"Alexia," exclaimed Polly, cuddling up the long figure in a way to give
perfect satisfaction, "we must make Cathie Harrison have the best time
that she ever had, at the picnic to-morrow."

"I suppose so," said Alexia resignedly. "Well, but don't let's think of
it now, for I've got you, Polly, and I want to rest."

XIII THE PICNIC

The four barges were to leave