hough Monty triumphantly exclaimed:

"We haven't any right to be so hungry for an hour yet, 'cause if the
dogs hadn't come to church we'd have been kept in that much longer."
Then still munching a sandwich he set about to bring water for all, in
the one tin dipper that hung by the well, the other lads relieving him
from time to time.

They were all so merry, so innocently happy under the great trees
which bordered the church grounds, that the Master grew happy, too,
watching and listening to them and forgot the untoward incident of the
service; even forgot, for a moment, that either twins or dogs existed.
Then, after both fruit and sandwich baskets had been wholly emptied
and all had declared they wanted no more water, the cavalcade prepared
to move; Dorothy begging:

"Can Luna and I sit on the front seat, with Littlejohn driving, going
back? See, she's no longer afraid and I always do love to ride close
to the horses."

"Very well. Here goes then," answered Mr. Seth gently lifting
Luna--wholly unresisting now and placidly smiling--to the place
desired while Dolly swiftly sprang after. Then the others seated
themselves and Ephraim cracked his whip, the landau leading as
befitted its grandeur.

Then there were shrieks for delay. From Molly Breckenridge at first,
echoed by piping little tongues as the lost "twinses" came into sight.
Over the stone wall bordering the road leaped Ponce and Peter,
dripping wet and shaking their great bodies vigorously, the while they
yelped and barked in sheer delight. Behind them Ananias and Sapphira,
equally wet, equally noisy, equally rapturous, and beginning at once
to climb into the richly cushioned landau as fast as their funny
little legs would permit.

Then came another shriek as, rather than let her beautiful clothes be
smirched by contact with the drenched children, Mabel Bruce drew her
skirts about her, gave one headlong leap to the ground, and fell
prone.

CHAPTER VIII

CONCERNING VARIOUS MATTERS

The laughter which rose to the lips of some of the observers was
promptly checked as they saw that the girl lay perfectly still in the
dust where she had fallen, making no effort to rise, and unconscious
of her injured finery.

"She'd better have kep' still an' let 'em wet her," said Alfy, nudging
Jane Potter.

"She ain't gettin' up because she can't," answered Jane and sprang out
of the landau, to kneel beside the prostrate girl; then to look up and
cry out: "S