"Aunt Ada doesn't care, if it is warm enough," Molly informed her. "I always go barefoot up here, if I feel like it and it isn't too cold. I'll go ask her now. Watch the baby for me, girls."
They promised to be faithful nurses while Molly went on her errand. She was gone some time and when she returned she was carefully bearing a plate of fresh doughnuts. "Which would you rather have, Polly," she cried, "doughnuts or chewing-gum? you can't have both, Aunt Ada says."
"Doughnuts," decided Polly without hesitation taking the chewing-gum from her mouth and slapping it securely against a stone in the foundation of the porch. "Don't they look good? So brown and sugary. I do think Luella makes the best doughnuts," and she helped herself to a specially fat, appetizing one.
"Which do you choose, Mary?" asked Molly.
Mary continued her rocking and chewing. "I'll keep the gum, thank you."
Molly laughed. "That is what Aunt Ada said you would do. And girls, we may take off our shoes and stockings. How's the baby, Polly?"
"Sound asleep."
"Good! Then I reckon we can leave her for a while, I do want to get my bare toes on the grass, don't you? Come on, Polly, and let's hunt for snakes."
"Snakes!" Mary jumped to her feet in horror. "Are there snakes here? Fancy!" She gathered her skirts about her and looked ready to fly.
"Why, yes. Do you mind them?" returned Molly calmly. "Polly and I love the little green grass snakes; they are perfectly harmless and are so pretty."