up now and then to nod and smile at her mother who watched her
from the window, rejoicing to see her lass so well and happy.
It was such a lovely day, they all felt its cheerful influence; for the
sun shone bright and warm, the air was full of an invigorating
freshness which soon made the girls’ faces look like rosy apples,
and their spirits as gay as if they had been stealing sips of new
cider through a straw. Jack whistled like a blackbird as he swung
and bumped about, Frank orated and joked, Merry and Molly ran
races to see who would fill and empty fastest, and Jill sung to Boo,
who reposed in a barrel, exhausted with his labors.
“These are the last of the pleasant days, and we ought to make the
most of them. Let’s have one more picnic before the frost spoils the
leaves,” said Merry, resting a minute at the gate to look down the
street, which was a glorified sort of avenue, with brilliant maples
lining the way and carpeting the ground with crimson and gold.
“Oh, yes! Go down the river once more and have supper on the
Island. I couldn’t go to some of your picnics, and I do long for a
last good time before winter shuts me up again,” cried Jill, eager to
harvest all the sunshine she could, for she was not yet quite her old
self again.
“I’m your man, if the other fellows agree. We can’t barrel these up
for a while, so to-morrow will be a holiday for us. Better make
sure of the day while you can, this weather can’t last long”; and
Frank shook his head like one on intimate terms with Old Prob.
“Don’t worry about those high ones, Jack. Give a shake and come
down and plan about the party,” called Molly, throwing up a big
Baldwin with what seemed a remarkably good aim, for a shower of
apples followed, and a boy came tumbling earthward to catch on
the lowest bough and swing down like a caterpillar, exclaiming, as
he landed,
“I’m glad that job is done! I’ve rasped every knuckle I’ve got and
worn out the knees of my pants. Nice little crop though, isn’t it?”
“It will be nicer if this young man does not bite every apple he
touches. Hi there! Stop it, Boo,” commanded Frank, as he caught
his young assistant putting his small teeth into the best ones, to see
if they were sweet or sour.
Molly set the barrel up on end, and that took the boy out of the
reach of mischief, so he retired from view and peeped through a
crack as he ate his fifth pearmain, regardless of consequences.
“Gus will be at home to-morrow. He always comes up early on
Saturday, you know. We can’t get on without him,” said Frank,
who missed his mate very much, for Gus had entered college, and
so far did not like it as much as he had expected.
“Or Ralph; he is very busy every spare minute on the little boy’s
bust, which is getting on nicely, he says; but he will be able to
come home in time for supper, I think,” added Merry,
remembering the absent, as usual.
“I’ll ask the girls on my way home, and all meet at two o’clock for
a good row while it’s warm. What shall I bring?” asked Molly,
wondering if Miss Bat’s amiability would extend to making
goodies in the midst of her usual Saturday’s baking.
“You bring coffee and the big pot and some buttered crackers. I’ll
see to the pie and cake, and the other girls can have anything else
they like,” answered Merry, glad and proud that she could provide
the party with her own inviting handiwork.
“I’ll take my zither, so we can have music as we sail, and Grif will
bring his violin, and Ralph can imitate a banjo so that you’d be
sure he had one. I do hope it will be fine, it is so splendid to go
round like other folks and enjoy myself,” cried Jill, with a little
bounce of satisfaction at the prospect of a row and ramble.