while she answered with a
gusty sigh that nearly blew him away.

"Like the fellow that brought the good news from Ghent to Aix," said
Thorny, surveying the recumbent pair with great admiration.

"What follow?" asked Ben, wondering if he didn't mean Sheridan, of whose
ride he had heard.

"Don't you know that piece? I spoke it at school. Give it to you now;
see if it isn't a rouser."

And, glad to find a vent from his excitement, Thorny mounted the
meal-chest, to thunder out that stirring ballad with such spirit that
Lita pricked up her ears and Ben gave a shrill "Hooray!" as the last
verse ended.

"And all I remember is friends flocking round, As I sat with his head
'twixt my knees on the ground, And no voice but was praising this Roland
of mine, As I poured down his throat our last measure of wine, Which
(the burgesses voted by common consent) Was no more than his due who
brought good news from Ghent."

CHAPTER XVI

DETECTIVE THORNTON

A few days later, Miss Celia was able to go about with her arm in a
sling, pale still, and rather stiff, but so much better than any one
expected, that all agreed Mr. Paine was right in pronouncing Dr. Mills
"a master hand with broken bones." Two devoted little maids waited on
her, two eager pages stood ready to run her errands, and friendly
neighbors sent in delicacies enough to keep these four young persons
busily employed in disposing of them.

Every afternoon the great bamboo lounging chair was brought out and the
interesting invalid conducted to it by stout Randa, who was head nurse,
and followed by a train of shawl, cushion, foot-stool and book bearers,
who buzzed about like swarming bees round a new queen. When all were
settled, the little maids sewed and the pages read aloud, with much
conversation by the way; for one of the rules was, that all should
listen attentively, and if any one did not understand what was read, he
or she should ask to have it explained on the spot. Whoever could answer
was invited to do so, and at the end of the reading Miss Celia could ask
any she liked, or add any explanations which seemed necessary. In this
way much pleasure and profit was extracted from the tales Ben and Thorny
read, and much unexpected knowledge as well as ignorance displayed, not
to mention piles of neatly hemmed towels for which Bab and Betty were
paid like regular sewing-women.

So vacation was not all play, and the girls found their picnics, berry
parties, and "g