ickerel. Daisy's wish was to go with that party in
the boat and watch their sport; especially as Mr. Randolph was the
leader and manager of it. She was not asked to go; there was no room
for the little people; so they stood on the shore and saw the
setting-off, and watched the bright dimples every stroke of the oars
made in the surface of the lake.

The people were pretty well scattered now. Nobody was left on the ground
but Mrs. Gary and Mrs. Fish, sitting under a tree at some distance,
talking; and Eloise and Theresa, who were charged to superintend the
laying of the cloth. Having nothing particular to do, the three children
became hangers-on, to watch how this business would be conducted; ready
to help if they got a chance.

It was found a difficult business to arrange places for so many people
on the grass; and the girls finally and wisely gave it up. They
determined to set out the eatables only, on a tablecloth spread to
receive them; but to let everybody eat where he felt disposed, or where
he could find the best bit of shade. Shade was the best thing that day,
Theresa Stanfield declared. But the first thing of all was to light a
fire; for coffee must be boiled, and tea made. The fire was not a
troublesome thing to have, for dead wood was in plenty for the
gathering. James and Logan, who had come to the scene of action, soon
had that going; and the children forgot that it was hot, in the beauty
and the novelty of the thing, and laughed at Theresa's red cheeks as she
stooped over the coals with her coffee-pot. About coffee Daisy was
ignorant. But tea had been made in her behalf by Juanita too many times
for her not to have the whole proceeding fixed in her memory.

"O Eloise, you must not make that _tea_ now!" she exclaimed.

"Mustn't I!"

"No. It will be spoiled."

"Some other things have had the same fate," said Eloise.

"It will not be good for anything, Eloise," Daisy persisted gently. "It
should not be made but just before you want it--just a few minutes."

"You are wise, Daisy," returned her cousin. "I do not know so much as
you do, you see."

Daisy fell back a little. Eloise and Theresa went to unpacking the
hampers; and James, acting under their direction, carried and placed the
various articles they took out, placed and replaced; for as new and
unlooked-for additions were made to the stock of viands, the arrangement
of those already on the tablecloth had to be varied. There was a
wonderful suppl