uld you
start us all off like that?"

"For the table, for the table!" shrieked Carol, and Prudence joined in
perforce.

"It was awful," she gasped, "but it was funny! I believe even father
would have laughed."

A few weeks after this, Carol distinguished herself again, and to her
lasting mortification. The parsonage pasture had been rented out during
the summer months before the change of ministers, the outgoing incumbent
having kept neither horse nor cow. As may be imagined, the little
pasture had been taxed to the utmost, and when the new minister arrived,
he found that his field afforded poor grazing for his pretty little
Jersey. But a man living only six blocks from the parsonage had
generously offered Mr. Starr free pasturage in his broad meadow, and the
offer was gratefully accepted. This meant that every evening the twins
must walk the six blocks after the cow, and every morning must take her
back for the day's grazing.

One evening, as they were starting out from the meadow homeward with the
docile animal, Carol stopped and gazed at Blinkie reflectively.

"Lark," she said, "I just believe to my soul that I could ride this cow.
She's so gentle, and I'm such a good hand at sticking on."

"Carol!" ejaculated Lark. "Think how it would look for a parsonage girl
to go down the street riding a cow."

"But there's no one to see," protested Carol. And this was true. For
the parsonage was near the edge of town, and the girls passed only five
houses on their way home from the meadow,--and all of them were well back
from the road. And Carol was, as she had claimed, a good hand at
"sticking on." She had ridden a great deal while they were at Exminster,
a neighbor being well supplied with rideable horses, and she was
passionately fond of the sport. To be sure, she had never ridden a cow,
but she was sure it would be easy.

Lark argued and pleaded, but Carol was firm. "I must try it," she
insisted, "and if it doesn't go well I can slide off. You can lead her,
Lark."

The obliging Lark boosted her sister up, and Carol nimbly scrambled into
place, riding astride.

"I've got to ride this way," she said; "cows have such funny backs I
couldn't keep on any other way. If I see any one coming, I'll slide for
it."

For a while all went well. Lark led Blinkie carefully, gazing about
anxiously to see that no one approached. Carol gained confidence as they
proceeded, and chatted with her sister nonchalantly,