"How do you do?" said Marian. She had never seen Stella except from across the church. She considered her quite a young lady, although she was only fourteen, but she was tall for her age and had an assured air.
The weather was warm, as it often is in early September, and as they trudged along the dusty road with the noonday sun beating down upon them, Marian thought it was anything but fun. Stella, however, kept encouraging them all by telling them it was only a little further, and that when they came to a certain big tree they would sit down and eat their lunch. The tree seemed a long way off, but at length it was reached, and the four sat down to rest under its shade.
"Oh, I do wish I had a drink," sighed Alice. "I am so thirsty."
"So am I," exclaimed the others.
"Maybe there is a spring near," said Stella. "There is a house over yonder; perhaps they could let us have some milk."
"But we haven't any money to pay for it," said Alice.
"So we haven't. Well, we'll have to ask for water. It was very stupid to think of only being hungry and not of being thirsty. We could have brought some milk as well as not. Let us have your tin bucket, Marjorie, and you and Alice go over and ask for some water."
"I'm too tired," complained Marjorie. "If I lend you my bucket I think some one else ought to go for the water."
"Oh, all right," said Stella with a disdainful smile. "I am sure Marian will be accommodating enough to go with Alice, although you have walked no further than they did. You will go, won't you, Marian?"
At this direct appeal, Marian could not refuse to go, and arose with alacrity to do Stella's bidding.