"Mary Jane hasn't anything to take in her basket but just her own things," said Alice suddenly; "she ought to have something."
"So she ought!" said Mrs. Merrill, her eyes twinkling, "but it's too late now to get anything more; the girls are out front this very minute. I guess we'll have enough to eat so don't you worry about Mary Jane's basket. You start along out to the street and I'll lock the back door and join you in a jiffy."
A jolly party it was that strolled out of the front yard! Each girl had her basket covered most mysteriously with a fresh white napkin—it was enough to make a person hungry just to look at them! Mary Jane, who felt a little queer and important on being with the big girls for her first outing, waited at the end of the walk for her mother and then they ran a few steps till they joined the big girls.
"They don't know what they're going to do!" said Mary Jane gayly.
But, dear me, Mary Jane didn't know what she was going to do! If she had even guessed what was to happen to her before she came back home—but she didn't and perhaps it was just as well she didn't; knowing might have spoiled the fun!
THE PICNIC UP CLEARWATER
Clearwater was a pretty little stream that ran through the woods just west of the city where the Merrills lived. And as the Merrill home was on the west side of the city, the woods and the creek were not far from their home. To reach Clearwater they only had to walk through the Campus just west of their yard, cut through the fields back beyond and after a walk of less than a mile they would find themselves by the bank of a swift running creek of clear fresh water. And along the banks of this little creek grew the loveliest violets and buttercups and Sweet Williams that could be found anywhere.
Mary Jane held her precious basket firmly and walked along beside her mother while the big girls skipped on ahead.
But when the girls reached the banks of Clearwater they waited till Mrs.
Merrill and Mary Jane caught up with them.
"Now keep your eyes open for flowers," called Alice as they started on again, all together this time, "we don't want to miss any."