member this is our greatest, dearest day. We
specially reserved it. So we ought to make the most of it."

"I'm _so_ glad we packed most of our things last night," commented
Arline, with satisfaction.

"Girls," Grace was the first to make a suggestion, "it's such a
delightful day, wouldn't you like to go picnicking at the edge of those
woods we passed the other day when we were driving? Don't you remember
how pretty the country was? There was a brook and long green hills
sloping down to it."

"Grace Harlowe!" exclaimed Elfreda, her eyes very round. "You must be a
mind reader, for that's precisely what I've been thinking about all
morning. I'm so glad you proposed it. What do you say, girls? How about
a picnic?"

There was a ringing assent on the part of the others.

"I hardly thought you would care much about going down to Wildwood for a
dance," continued Elfreda. "Somehow when we go to hops we are sure to
separate and not see much of each other until we're going home. What's
the use in having a reunion if the reunionists don't reunite. I guess
I'm selfish, but I can't help it."

"No, you're not, J. Elfreda," laughed Miriam, laying her hand on her
friend's shoulder. "That's the way I feel, too. We can go to plenty of
hops after we have each gone our separate way, but we can't have one
another. Besides, what is _anything_ in the way of amusement compared to
a Semper reunion?"

"Now you're talking," commended Emma, with an encouraging flourish of
her hand. She had been busily scooping up the white sand as she listened
to her friends' conversation. Now she took a fresh handful and let it
fall gently into the open space between the back of Sara Emerson's neck
and her bathing suit. Sara, leaning interestedly forward, was an
opportunity not to be disregarded.

"O-o-o-o," wailed the wriggling twin.

"Why, Sara, whatever _is_ the matter?" inquired Emma with such
exaggerated solicitude that the victim laughed in spite of herself.
"Some ill-natured persons threw pebbles at _me_ a while ago, but I
remained calm. That is, until I was dragged across the sand in a brutal
manner, and had to beg for life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.
Even then I was a credit to Overton and the Sempers. I neither writhed
nor howled."

"Well, we're even now," declared Sara. "I'll foreswear pebbles if you'll
abolish the sand habit."

"I have always liked to look at Emma from a distance," said Julia
Emerson, hastily sliding to the ex