and a grove of trees. We have some trees
and some garden, and we have a stable, but we haven't any pasture for
cows."

"You might pasture her out," Amanda suggested, scraping the contents of
the bowl into a glass dish. "Here, Reliance, take that in and set it on
the table, and then go after your milk and butter. The dark will catch
you if you don't hurry."

"I'm going, too," announced Edna. "I can carry the butter, but I won't
bring the key." The two little girls laughed, for this was a standing
joke between them.

They started out through the rustling leaves to the spring-house; the
leaves gave forth a queer, though pleasant odor, as they pushed their
feet through them. A big star blazed out against the pale rose of an
evening sky. Over in the cornfields, crows were calling, and a few
crickets, not yet driven to cover by the frost, chirped in the grass.
The cows were standing in the stable yard. They had been milked, and
Ira had brought the pails to the spring-house before this. The little
white kitten which Edna had made a great pet of, followed her down the
walk, frisking away after a falling leaf, or dancing sideways in
pretended fear of its own tail. Edna picked it up but it had no desire
to stay when this, of all hours in the day, was the best to play in, so
it scrambled down from her arms and was off like a flash, darting half
way up a tree, with ears back and claws outspread.

"I do hate to leave the kitten," said Edna. "I hope it won't miss me too
much. You will try to give it a little attention, even though you love
the grey one best, won't you, Reliance?"

Reliance promised, and leaving the kitten to its own wild antics they
went into the spring-house, issuing forth with the various things they
had gone for. "Just think," sighed Reliance, "this is the very last
time you will help me bring up the things. I shall miss you awfully,
Edna. You have been so good to me."

"Why, no, I haven't," answered she; "you have been good to me. I'm
coming back at Easter, Reliance, and it will be so nice, for I shall
have so many questions to ask about the girls and the club and all
that."

"Are you really coming at Easter? I didn't know that."

"Yes, mother just now promised grandma I should."

"Goody! Goody! I must tell the girls when I see them."

The girls, however, found out before Reliance saw them, for knowing that
Edna was to leave in the morning, they gave her a surprise that very
evening. Supper was hard