y murmured helplessly, "what will those children do
next!" they were all very glad to see Mr. Sparks when he finally
rattled up. And there was plenty of everything to eat--trust Aunt
Polly and Linda for that.

Mr. Sparks brought a freezer of ice-cream with him, which his wife had
made, as his contribution to the picnic, and though he had to go as
soon as lunch was over, he assured the children that he had had a
splendid time.

When the crumbs were all scattered for the birds, and the papers and
boxes neatly buried, except one box of sandwiches they had not eaten
and which they saved for Peter, Aunt Polly declared that she wanted to
sit quietly for an hour and knit. Linda, too, had her embroidery, but
the four little Blossoms wanted to go wading.

"I'll watch 'em," promised Jud.

So Meg and Bobby and Dot and Twaddles took off their shoes and
stockings and pattered over the pine needles that covered the grass
down to the edge of the brook.

Bobby dipped one foot in to test the water.

"Wow, it's cold!" he said. "Just like ice, Jud."

"You won't mind it after you've been in a little while," Jud assured
him. "Now when I say come out, you're to come. No teasing to stay in!
Is that agreed?"

"All right," promised the four little Blossoms. "Oh, ow! isn't it
cold?"

CHAPTER XV

WHAT MEG FOUND

The first thing Dot did was to step in a deep hole and get her dress
and tucked-up skirt wet nearly to her shoulders.

"It's all right," said Meg calmly. "Aunt Polly brought some dry things
with her. I guess she expected Dot to go in bathing instead of
wading."

This made Dot very indignant, but she pattered along after the others,
and in a few minutes forgot to be cross. When you are wading in a
clear, cold brook with little dancing leaves making checkered patterns
on the water, and a green forest all around you, you can not stay
cross long.

"I see something," said Bobby suddenly. "Look! Over there where it's
wide! Don't you see it, Meg?"

"Looks like clothes," said Meg, shading her eyes with her hand, for
the sun on the water dazzled her. "Maybe it's a wash. Aunt Polly said
some of the hired men around here wash their clothes in the brook.
Let's go and see."

"Here, here! Where are you going?" called Jud, as they began to
scramble down.

"We saw something on the other side of the brook," explained Bobby.
"We're going over to see what it is."

"Well, you just wait," ordered Jud. "That's the widest part