he meadows at a moderate pace, deposited the
horse and a certified opinion of him with an apologetic liveryman, and
carried their lunch down to Paradise. "For it's as pretty as any place
and near, and we're all hungry," Alice said.

Paradise was deserted, for the girls had preferred to range further
afield on Mountain Day. So the five freshmen chose two boats, rowed up
stream without misadventure, spread out their luncheon on a grassy
knoll, and ate, talked, and read till dinner time. As they crossed the
campus, they met parties of dusty, disheveled pedestrians, laden with
purple asters and autumn branches. A barge stopped at the gateway to
deposit the campus contingent of the sophomore decorating committee, and
in front of the various dwelling-houses empty buckboards, surreys and
express wagons, waiting to be called for, showed that the holiday was
over.

"I don't think our first Mountain Day has been so bad after all, in
spite of that dreadful horse," said Rachel.

"So much pleasant variety about it," added Katherine.

"Let's not tell about the runaway," said Alice who hated to be teased.

"But Miss King saw us," expostulated Betty, "and you can trust Mary
Brooks to know all about it."

When Mary, who was late in dressing, entered the dining-room, she gave a
theatrical cry of joy. "I'm so glad you're all safe," she said. "And how
about that cookie, Roberta?"

"I'm sorry, but it's gone. They're all gone," said Roberta coolly. "Now
you might as well tell us how you knew."

"Knew!" repeated Mary scornfully. "The whole college knows by this time.
We were lunching on the notch road, near the top, when four Winsted men
came up, and asked if they might join us. They knew most of us. So we
said yes, if they'd brought any candy, and they told us a strange story
about five girls--very young girls, they said," interpolated Mary
emphatically, "that they'd seen dashing down the notch. One was trying
to eat a cookie, and another was pulling the horse's tail, and the rest
were screaming at the top of their lungs, so naturally the horse was
frightened to death. Pretty soon three carriage loads of juniors came
along and they confirmed the awful news and gave us the names of the
victims, and you can imagine how I felt. The men want to meet you, but I
told them they couldn't because of course you'd be drowned in the
river."

"I hope you'll relieve their minds the next time they come to see you,"
said Katherine. "Are they the