Part 15 (1/2)

”Seeh, marm,” said Zene

”Well, suppose you did,” said Grandett ”The whole world won't mourn just because we're in trouble”

”But it sounded like Corinne,” said Zene uncertainly

Grandlared upon hi,” she exclaiht off the load”

Hickory and Henry, anxious to taste the creek, would have moved forward, but were checked by both pairs of hands

”What direction?”

”I don't feel certain, marh the woods”

Grande toward the right

”Is that a sled track?” she inquired ”It's gittin' so dim I can't see”

Zene said there was a sled track, pointing out what looked like a double footpath with a growth of grass and shrubs along the centre

”We'll drive in that way,” she at once decided, ”and if we get wedged aet out the best e can”

Zene turned the gray and white, and led on this newallowed to dip their mouths, reluctantly thumped the sled track with their shoes, and pretended to distrust every tall stuht Scrubby bushes scraped the bottoh over a chunk, and the vehicle rolled and creaked Zene's wagon cover, like a big white blur, moved steadily in front, and presently Hickory and Henry ran their noses against it, and seeave the feed-box Zene had halted to listen

It was dark in the woods A rustle could be heard now and then as of sorass; or a twig cracked

The frogs in the creek were tuning their bass-viols A tree-toad rattled on sos in the steady breathing which it never leaves off, but which becomes a roar and a wheeze in storan Grand and ”here” cah of a child

[Illustration: ”WHERE'S BOBADAY?”]

Zene cracked his whip over the gray and the white, and the wagon ruainst roots, and ends of decayed logs, turning short in one direction, and dipping through a long sheltered ainst trees and under low branches until guttural remonstrances were scraped out of the cover, and finally descending into an abrupt holloith the carriage rattling at its hind wheels

Grandh many experiences, but she felt she could truly say to her descendants that she never gave up so entirely for pure joy in her life as when she saw Robert and Corinne sitting in front of a fire built against a great stuainst a cart-wheel

CHAPTER XV THE SPROUTING

”Why, Bobaday Padgett,” exclaiett”

Both children caot down, tre, shook one in each hand

The fire illus and bushes surrounding theett a piercing expression while she examined her culprits