It goes without saying that Cricket’s could not be found, and at last she recollected she had dropped it yesterday, down into the dry well in the lower pasture, and had forgotten to get it again.
“Can’t I wear my best one, mamma?” she begged.
“No, my dear, certainly not,” answered mamma, not knowing it was necessary that the note should be taken immediately. “You know that is the rule always. If you will be careless and leave your things about, you must find them.”
So the children ran down to the lower pasture after the hat. It took some time to recover it, and then they had forgotten that there was any necessity for haste.
“Let’s take the ponies,” said Eunice, as they came back from the pasture, “and ride around the lake-road home. I haven’t been there since I fell in.”
“We can’t,” said Cricket. “Mike said yesterday that Charcoal’s shoe was loose, and he must take him to the blacksmith’s this morning. I saw him going right after breakfast, and he isn’t home yet.”
“Oh, bother! then we’ll have to walk,” said Eunice. But the walk looked very inviting, as they turned out of the avenue into the shady road. It wound down the hill, over the Kayuna, and swept around the curve out of sight.
Just over the bridge was the farmer’s house, a low, white building, half hidden in the trees. As the two little girls passed, they saw a frowzyheaded child of seven swinging on the gate.
“H’lo!” she called. “Where you goin’?”
“Somewhere to make little girls ask questions,” replied Eunice, teasingly.