sses of the trees are gone,
The woods of autumn all around our vale
Have put their glory on."

chanted Ralph bowing low to Barbara, as she joined him in the clearing in
front of their house before breakfast next morning. "See, mademoiselle,
what a fine poem I have thought out for you! Behold in me the poet of the
Berkshires!"

Barbara laughed. "You are a second-hand poet, I am afraid, Ralph. I
happen to know that those lines were written by William Cullen Bryant.
But come into breakfast and stop your poetizing. We have a busy day ahead
of us."

Ralph and Barbara found Ruth with a big sheet of paper in her hand and
her brow wrinkled into a serious frown.

"We must decide at once what to have to eat at our supper party to-night.
Naki is in a hurry to get off to the village, so as to be back in time to
help with the preparations. Listen, chilluns, while I read you my menu,"
commanded Ruth solemnly. "I am going to have a regular, old-fashioned
supper party with everything on the table at once. Naki and Ceally can't
serve so many people in any other style. Besides, if we have to eat
supper at eight and start off on our coon hunt at nine, there won't be
time for many courses. So here goes: Roast chicken, 'ole Virginy' ham,
sent by Mr. Robert Stuart for just such a special occasion, roast pig and
apple sauce, chestnuts, sweet potatoes, jellies, pies, doughnuts----"

"Cease, and give me breakfast ere I perish at the thought of overeating,"
remonstrated Hugh. While Miss Sallie protested, as she sat down to her
breakfast, "My dear Ruth, are you planning to feed an army, or to
entertain a few guests at supper?"

"What shall we do to help with the preparations, Miss Sallie?" queried
Grace.

"Just keep out of the way as much as possible, child," Miss Stuart
answered.

But this suggestion did not agree with Ruth's ideas. "At least, Aunt
Sallie," she expostulated, "we may be allowed to decorate the hut as we
like."

"Certainly, child. Spend the day bringing the woods into the house, and
to-morrow in throwing the trash out again, if you like. Only don't
interrupt Ceally and Naki."

At half-past seven everything was ready for supper. As for the coon hunt,
no one of "The Automobile Girls" had the faintest conception of what it
would be like, and Miss Sallie was as ignorant as the rest of them.

"It is only an excuse for a midnight frolic among the young people," she
thought, indulgently. "I pr