take it myself," said Mrs. Sherman, "if I were going past the
post-office, but I have to drive a roundabout way to the Ross place, to
get some berries I engaged for the picnic. It is very important that the
letter should go on to-night's mail train, and if one of you will drop
it in the box as you go by, I'll be so much obliged."

"Yes'm, I'll do it," answered each girl again, almost in the same
breath. With a nod and a smile to them, Mrs. Sherman told Alec to drive
on. The ponies, already saddled and bridled, were waiting in front of
the house. The girls were to ride by the MacIntyre place and escort Miss
Allison's carriage to the picnic-ground, and had promised to be there at
four, but the hall clock struck the hour before the last dress was
buttoned and the last ribbon tied.

"Do you heah that?" cried the Little Colonel, in a panic of haste, as
the musical chime sounded through the house. "It will nevah do to keep
Miss Allison waitin'! Come on!" she exclaimed, adding, as she flew
through the upper hall, "The last one down the stairs is a pop-eyed
monkey!"

"I'm not it!" shrieked Joyce, racing past her.

"I'm not it!" echoed Betty, darting ahead of them both, and reaching the
ponies first.

"Eugenia's last! She is the pop-eyed monkey!" cried Joyce, cheerfully,
looking back with a laugh as she began to untie Calico. Eugenia switched
her skirts disdainfully through the hall, and mounted in dignified
disgust.

"You're elegant, I must say!" she exclaimed, scornfully. "I wouldn't
play such a kid game!" Nevertheless, she dashed down the avenue at the
top of her speed, when Joyce called out, tantalisingly, "The last one
through the gate is a jibbering ornithorhynchus!" In her zeal not to be
dubbed such a title for the rest of the day as a jibbering
ornithorhynchus, Betty urged Lad along until she nearly bounced out of
her saddle, and the letter lay on the hall table, forgotten by both the
girls who had promised to post it.

It was a devious way to the ruins of the old stone mill,--down
unfrequented roads, through meadow gates, and over a narrow pasture lot,
then up a little hill and into a cool beech woods, where the peace of
the summer reigned unbroken. Piloted by Lloyd, they reached the place
just as Mrs. Sherman drove in from the opposite side of the woods.

The vacant windows of the old mill seemed staring in surprise at the
gay party gathering on the hill above it, although it should have been
accustomed to al