watching their antics in the air, and feeling them tug at the string
like live creatures trying to escape. Nan was quite wild with the
fun, Daisy thought the new play nearly as interesting as dolls, and
little Bess was so fond of her “boo tite,” that she would only let it
go on very short flights, preferring to hold it in her lap and look at
the remarkable pictures painted on it by Tommy’s dashing brush.
Mrs. Jo enjoyed hers immensely, and it acted as if it knew who
owned it, for it came tumbling down head first when least
expected, caught on trees, nearly pitched into the river, and finally
darted away to such a height that it looked a mere speck among the
clouds.
By and by every one got tired, and fastening the kite-strings to
trees and fences, all sat down to rest, except Mr. Bhaer, who went
off to look at the cows, with Teddy on his shoulder.
“Did you ever have such a good time as this before?” asked Nat, as
they lay about on the grass, nibbling pennyroyal like a flock of
sheep.
“Not since I last flew a kite, years ago, when I was a girl,”
answered Mrs. Jo.
“I’d like to have known you when you were a girl, you must have
been so jolly,” said Nat.
“I was a naughty little girl, I am sorry to say.”
“I like naughty little girls,” observed Tommy, looking at Nan, who
made a frightful grimace at him in return for the compliment.
“Why don’t I remember you then, Aunty? Was I too young?” asked
Demi.
“Rather, dear.”
“I suppose my memory hadn’t come then. Grandpa says that
different parts of the mind unfold as we grow up, and the memory
part of my mind hadn’t unfolded when you were little, so I can’t
remember how you looked,” explained Demi.
“Now, little Socrates, you had better keep that question for
grandpa, it is beyond me,” said Aunt Jo, putting on the
extinguisher.
“Well, I will, he knows about those things, and you don’t,” returned
Demi, feeling that on the whole kites were better adapted to the
comprehension of the present company.
“Tell about the last time you flew a kite,” said Nat, for Mrs. Jo had
laughed as she spoke of it, and he thought it might be interesting.
“Oh, it was only rather funny, for I was a great girl of fifteen, and
was ashamed to be seen at such a play. So Uncle Teddy and I
privately made our kites, and stole away to fly them. We had a
capital time, and were resting as we are now, when suddenly we
heard voices, and saw a party of young ladies and gentlemen
coming back from a picnic. Teddy did not mind, though he was
rather a large boy to be playing with a kite, but I was in a great
flurry, for I knew I should be sadly laughed at, and never hear the
last of it, because my wild ways amused the neighbors as much as
Nan’s do us.
“‘What shall I do?’ I whispered to Teddy, as the voices drew nearer
and nearer.
“‘I’ll show you,’ he said, and whipping out his knife he cut the
strings. Away flew the kites, and when the people came up we
were picking flowers as properly as you please. They never
suspected us, and we had a grand laugh over our narrow escape.”
“Were the kites lost, Aunty?” asked Daisy.
“Quite lost, but I did not care, for I made up my mind that it would
be best to wait till I was an old lady before I played with kites
again; and you see I have waited,” said Mrs. Jo, beginning to pull
in the big kite, for it was getting late.
“Must we go now?”
“I must, or you won’t have any supper; and that sort of surprise
party would not suit you, I think, my chickens.”
“Hasn’t our party been a nice one?” asked Tommy, complacently.
“Splendid!” answered every one.
“Do you know why? It is because your guests have behaved
themselves, and tried to make everything go well. You understand