"Bring twelve," Carol called after her, "that'll be four apiece. And hurry, Connie. And see they don't catch you while you're about it."
After she had gone, the twins lay back thoughtfully on the hay and stared at the cobwebby roof above them.
"It's a good thing Prudence and Fairy are downtown," said Lark sagely.
"Yes, or we'd catch it," assented Carol. "But I don't see why! The Averys have too many apples, and they are going to waste. I'm sure Mrs. Avery would rather let us have them than the chickens."
They lay in silence for a while. Something was hurting them, but whether it was their fear of the wrath of Prudence, or the twinges of tender consciences,—who can say?
"She's an unearthly long time about it," exclaimed Lark, at last. "Do you suppose they caught her?"
This was an awful thought, and the girls were temporarily suffocated. But they heard the barn door swinging beneath them, and sighed with relief. It was Connie! She climbed the ladder skilfully, and poured her golden treasure before the arch thieves, Skull and Crossbones.
There were eight big tempting apples.
"Hum! Eight," said Carol sternly. "I said twelve."
"Yes, but I was afraid some one was coming. I heard such a noise through the grapevines, so I got what I could and ran for it. There's three apiece for you, and two for me," said Connie, sitting down sociably beside them on the hay.