"but
it means you must just keep on everlastingly trying to be good."

"I will," said Mops, heartily, and then she turned her attention to the
chicken pie before her.

CHAPTER VII

THE JINKS CLUB

Saturday was hailed with delight by the four Maynards.

Now that school had begun, a whole playday meant more than it did in
vacation time, when all days were playdays.

It was a glorious September day, and as it was an early autumn, many
leaves had fallen and lay thick upon the ground.

"I know what to do," said Marjorie, as directly after breakfast they put
on hats and coats for outdoor play of some sort. "Let's make
leaf-houses."

"All right," said Kingdon, "and let's telephone for the others."

"The others" always meant the two Fultons and Kitty's friend, Dorothy
Adams.

Rosy Posy was too little to have a special chum, so Boffin was her
companion.

Leaf-houses was a favorite game with all of them, and soon the three
guests came skipping through the gate.

The leaves had been raked from the lawn, but down in the orchard they
were on the ground like a thick carpet. The orchard had many maples and
elms, as well as fruit trees, so there were leaves of all sorts.

"Isn't it fun to scuffle through 'em!" said Marjorie, as she led the
way, shuffling along, almost knee-deep in the brown, dry leaves.

"More fun to roll!" cried Dick, tumbling down and floundering about.

Down went Rosy Posy in imitation of Dick's performance, and then they
all fell into the leaves, and burrowed about like rabbits.

Presently Marjorie's head emerged like a bright-eyed turtle poking out
from its shell, and shaking the dead leaves out of her curls, she said:
"Come on, let's make houses. King, won't you and Dick get some rakes?"

The boys flew off to the toolhouse, and came back with several rakes,
both wood and iron ones.

"Here's all we can find," said King. "Some of us can rake, and some can
build things."

They all set to work with a will, and soon two houses were in process of
construction.

These houses were, of course, merely a ground plan, and long, low piles
of leaves divided the rooms. Openings in these partitions made doors,
and the furniture was also formed of heaps of leaves. A long heap was a
sofa, and a smaller heap a chair, while a round, flat heap was a table.

King, Gladys, and Dorothy were one family, while Dick, Marjorie, and
Kitty were the other.

Rosy Posy was supposed to be an orphan child, who