"What's the matter?" asked Bee, surprised.

"No wonder you could be dressed before I was," exclaimed Adele in
shocked tones. "There are three buttons of your dress unfastened."

"Are there?" Bee backed up to her unconcernedly. "Do button them, like a
dear. I never was good at closing exercises."

Adele giggled appreciatively.

"Professor Lawrence says that closing exercises should be marked by
decorum as well as dispatch," she remarked in didatic accents. "I
observe the dispatch, Miss Raymond, but I must say--"

"Oh, hurry up," interrupted Bee impatiently. "What's a button more or
less on such a glorious day as this? Come on, or I shall run a race
with my shadow."

"Catch me then." Adele darted away quickly. "If I beat I shall read your
letter first."

"Good-bye, dears," called Mrs. Raymond after them. "Don't let her beat
you, Bee."

"I won't, auntie," Beatrice paused long enough to say, and then sped
after her cousin.

There were ripples of sunshine all tangled over the bowers of apple
blooms, and dancing blithely over the mats of blue violets in the grass.
Gold belted honeybees hummed a song of contentment in every flowery
cluster. Gauze-winged dragon flies darted hither and thither, while
butterflies sailed by on new born wings of bronze, and scarlet and gold.
The wind laughed a gleeful accompaniment to the merry maidens who ran
gaily down the path o'ershadowed by the trees. Adele's graceful form was
in the lead, but Beatrice was gradually gaining upon her. At length, as
they were nearing the edge of the orchard, Bee gave an exultant shout
and passed her cousin, reaching the gate just ahead of her.

"Weren't you awfully afraid that I'd get to read that letter?" laughed
Adele as, flushed and panting, she leaned against the gate. "How fast
you do run, Bee! I am all out of breath."

"So am I," admitted Bee. "We will have time to rest for a moment before
going on to the office. Take off your hat, and you will soon be cool."
She swung her own back and forth by the strings as she spoke.

"I'm afraid of freckles," sighed her cousin.

"Gracious!" ejaculated Bee, quickly putting her hat on her head. "I had
forgotten all about freckles. How can you always remember, Adele?"

"Perhaps if you had to take the care of your skin that I do, you would
not forget either."

"But don't you ever get tired of it? I should think that you would want
to go bareheaded sometimes."

"I would, Bee; but I like to keep my sk