The S. W. F. Club

oom," as it had come to be called, deep in the discussio

, and then there were to be new summer dresses, o

ver, "Mother Shaw's got to have one, too. We'll have to get it-

't come to so very

d mother and I

r check, or rather, you and mother did,"

th. But we did stretch it out in a good many directions. I don'

hings to get with them," Hilar

e money for the little unnecessary

haw had long wanted to take, another, one of the best of the current monthlies; and to lay in quite a store of new ribbons and pretty turnovers, and several yards of silkaline to make cushi

make it private enough for a family gathering place. But the side porch was different, broad and square, only

h in pillows, Pauline felt that their porch was one to be proud of. To Patience had been entrusted the care of keeping the old blue and white Canton bowl filled wi

ked her, glancing at the sobe

en all about them; I t

ample of blue and w

is p

ave it, if

I'll have

nder dot, for

Hilary

e straight white, it'll

ose for herself, Pau

atience called excitedly, at

ness. The next moment, she pushed wide the door of the "new room." "See what's come! It's addressed

as a good-sized, square box, and with all that delightful

ry cried. "Why, I've never had anything

id. "See, it's from Uncle Paul!" she pointed to the address at the upper left-hand cor

r to come,"

ul!" she added, as Pa

"It doesn't seem quite

else cou

l events. It could be almost anything. Hilary, I

exactly sorry,"

that tiresome Mrs. Dane; she just seems to know when we don't want her, and then to

e, and you'd better not let her he

ck hammer. "You can take the insi

fully," Hil

ed the tack hammer, and wrenched off the cover of

he most leisurely way. "I want to guess first," she said.

d cross-legged on the floor. "Then I don't think Uncle

ething from within the box, "but some

ra! Oh,

"It's a three and a quarter by four and a quarter. We can have fun n

uline said. "He fixed up a dark roo

ate the further contents of the express package. "Films

r. Shaw hoped his niece would be pleased with his pr

d. Then she caught sight of the samples Pauline had le

scant ones, I'd say,

on her blue checked gingham apron. "I just be

se?" Pauline ask

rvious to sarcasm. "I think I'll have this," she pointed t

ster's red curls. "You'd look like an animated boiled dinn

e in all white, Patty

d Paul chose

-n

oked up quickly, her bl

e a brand new, just-out

?

let it be the green then. G

r green better?"

ra, and decided in favor of a blue dot; then

ped up. "I want to see

into the sitting-room, "how you are getting on! Why,

he sofa. "I've got a most treme

ks are having fine times lately. Shirley was

nd it's in two parts;

s?-That means you can c

nd the other is-you s

down, she found the tw

out in the trap with Tom and Josie and the camera. "So there's really no one to ask permission of, Towser," Patience explained, as they started off

uite ready for a ramble this bright aft

after a short chat with Betsy Todd, considerably curtailed by that body's too frankly expressed wonder that

nder a shady tree. She and Patience exchanged views on parish ma

er life had centered itself for so many years. "There weren't ever such doings at the parsonage-nor anywhere else, what I knowed of-when I was a girl. Why, that Bedelia horse! Seems like

all sitting on the porch in the twilight, "I think

ed a club, too?

I mean; and you know it, Paul Shaw. When I get to be

It was one of Hilary's chief missions in life to act

said. Towser and I met her this after

at faculty for taking hold of the wrong end of a remark,

this caused, Sextones

lary!" Pauline called fr

bbon at her throat, then snatching up her b

farm, its bottom well filled with fresh straw. For Hilary's outing was to be a cherry

; the blue ribbon, with its gilt lettering, gave an add

alled her, she had been walking very softly the past few days. There had been no long rambles without permission, no making calls on her own ac

nce-white-frocked, blue-badged, cherry-ribboned-w

et ahead of that youngster. Though not in white, nor wearing cherry ribbons, Mr. Boyd sported his bad

ple of big pasteboard boxes under the wagon sea

d father have got to come with us one of these day

ll make two times," she comforted herself, "and two times oug

ouched his horses up lightly, rattling them along at a good ra

mers, this same crowd, had had so many good times together. "And yet it seems different, this

se are the 'Blue Ribbon Brand

here aren't so very man

rema

n, at any rat

n this, or any other, outing of the 'S. W. F. Club,'

close by, while a glimpse of a white umbrella seen

g folks came laughing and crowding about her. She was a prime favorite

urs?" Pauli

m too old to go wearing such things, though

l let you go to her top drawer. Not a stroke of business does

tle matter had been attended to

orn old dresses?

ma'am," Trac

!" Bob

ice basket to take home," Mrs. Boyd explained. There were no che

, we to obey!"

m ordered, as they scattered about a

cherr

rry t

cluster of great red and white

fore like it. It was very different, certainly, from the studio life in New York, different from the sketching rambles she had taken other summers with her father. They were delightful, too, an

ch his daughter threw herself into the village life. "I shall begin to think soon, that you were born and raised in Winton," he had said to her that very morning, as she came in fresh from a conference with Betsy Todd. Betsy might be

ine or Hilary would enjoy a studio winter, as much as she was rev

so used to tumbling, and the others were so used to having him tumble, that no one paid much atten

told her, as she was borne away for this enforced retire

e was an adept at it. "I reckon they will be

r. Dayre came scrambling down from his tree; he had been routed from

u've got a fine color-onl

e retorted. "I must go hel

er, after so many cher

laughed. "Well, you

s laid the cloth, Mrs. Boyd provided, and unpacked the boxes stacked on the porch. From the kitchen ca

suggestive of the person-like

for Mrs. Boyd,

d cut her one of these old-fash

mp," Tracy suggested, as the girls went fro

if it hadn't been for Pauline's "thought" that wet May afternoo

om had laid there, the pink of their petals not more delica

hirley," Bell said, "so that you won't f

likely to!" Sh

the farm dinner-horn, sounded it with a will, making the girls cov

" Patience said, reappearing in tim

ill read you the club

ve a club son

ar

on-while we eat

ou save me a few scraps the

tter," Jack

p, and

l world?-It

understan

boo the w

vate the

habit to

ch as to b

e frown a

little sun

the scrap of paper across the table to Bell. "Put i

d. "I'll d

club badge, and we ought to h

our song," her brother answere

ded him, and the mott