s and the
woods even after the bright autumn colors have gone by."

"That's quite true. Look at that meadow."

Mrs. Emerson waved her hand at the field across the road. On it sedges
were waving, softly brown; tufts of mouse-gray goldenrod nodded before
the breeze; chestnut-hued cat-tails stood guard in thick ranks, and a
delicate Indian Summer haze blended all into a harmony of warm, dull
shades.

"You found your grapevine," said Roger, pouring the lemonade for his
weary sisters, and nodding toward a trail of handsome leaves, splendidly
yellow.

"It took a hunt, though. What are you doing over here?"

"Getting the pumpkins Grandfather promised us."

"You're just in time to have a ride home," said Mr. Emerson.

"You're in no hurry, Father; let the girls rest a while," urged Mrs.
Emerson. "Can't you make a jack-o'-lantern while you're waiting, Roger?"

"Yes, _ma'am_, I can turn you out a truly superior article in a
wonderfully short time," bragged Roger.

"He really does make them very well," confirmed Helen, "but it's because
he always has the benefit of our valuable advice."

"Here you are to give it if I need it," said Roger good naturedly.
"We'll show Grandmother what our united efforts can do."

So the girls leaned back comfortably against the pillars at the sides of
the steps and Mrs. Emerson sat in an arm chair at the top of the flight
and Mr. Emerson sat in the car at the foot of the steps and Roger began
his work.

"It'll be a wonder if I make anything but a failure with so many
bosses," he complained.

"Keep your hand steady, old man," teased his grandfather. "Don't let
your knife go through the side or you'll let out a crack of light where
you don't mean to."

"Be sure your knife doesn't slip and cut your fingers," advised Mrs.
Emerson.

"Save me the inside," begged Ethel Brown. "I'm going to try to make a
pumpkin pie."

"Save the top for a hat," laughed Helen. "I'll trim it with brown ribbon
and set a new style at school."

Roger dug away industriously under the spur of these remarks.

"Is this the first year you've had a Hallowe'en party?" Mrs. Emerson
asked.

"We used to do a few little things when we were children," Helen
answered; "but for the last few years we've been asked somewhere."

"And with all due respect to our hosts we did a lot of the stupidest and
meanest things we ever got let in for," declared Roger. "I was telling
Grandfather about some of them coming over."

"So