xclaimed, referring to the luscious red
strawberries in the white dish she held.

"Look at mine," insisted Flossie. "Aren't they bigger?"

"Fine!" ejaculated Dinah.

"But my redishes are-are--redder," argued Freddie, who was not to be
outdone by his sisters.

"Ours are sweeter," laughed Nan, trying to tease her little brother.

"Ours are--ours are--"

"Hotter," put in Dinah, which ended the argument.

Bert and Harry had also been out gathering for breakfast, and returned
now with a basket of lovely fresh water-cress.

"We can't eat 'em all," Martha told the boys, "But they'll go good in
the picnic lunch."

What a pretty breakfast table it was! Such berries, such lettuce, such
water-cress, and the radishes!

"Too bad papa had to go so early," Bert remarked. "He just loves green
stuff."

"So does Frisky," put in Freddie, and he wondered why everyone laughed.

After breakfast the lunch baskets were put up and while Bert and Harry,
Nan and Aunt Sarah, went to invite the neighboring children, Flossie
and Freddie were just busy jumping around the kitchen, where Dinah and
Martha were making them laugh merrily with funny little stories.

Snoop and Fluffy had become good friends, and now lay close together on
the kitchen hearth. Dinah said they were just like two babies, only not
so much trouble.

"Put peaches in my basket, Dinah," Freddie ordered.

"And strawberries in mine," added Flossie.

"Now, you-uns jest wait!" Dinah told them; "and when you gets out in de
woods if you hasn't 'nough to eat you kin jest climb a tree an' cut
down--"

"Wood!" put in Freddie innocently, while Martha said that was about all
that could be found in the woods in July.

The boys had come in from inviting the "other fellers," when Uncle
Daniel proposed a feature for the picnic.

"How would you like to take two homer pigeons along?" he asked them.
"You can send a note back to Martha to say what time you will be home."

"Jolly!" chorused the boys, all instantly making a run for the pigeon
house.

"Wait!" Harry told the visitors. "We must be careful not to scare
them." Then he went inside the wire cage with a handful of corn.

"See--de--coon; see--de--coon!" called the boys softly, imitating the
queer sounds made by the doves cooing.

Harry tossed the corn inside the cage, and as the light and dark homers
he wanted tasted the food Harry lowered the little door, and took the
birds safely in his arms.

"Now, Bert, you can