"What is it?"
"We'll take your old fort beads and then, Betty, we'll break the string and scatter the beads in the dirt, and then we'll call her to come and find them. She'll be satisfied to come home after that."
"Why, of course, Billy, and your plan is so much better than mine, we'll try it first. We won't scare her unless we have to, though a good scare never hurts anybody. You get the beads while I get the shovels. Hurry now, we'll have some fun."
Mrs. Grannis was much relieved when the children returned with pleasant faces. Aunt Florence, too, was pleased.
"I truly wouldn't want you to go a step unless you were perfectly willing," she said, as they were leaving the house.
"Well, auntie, we're always willing to go anywhere, Billy and I, if we think we can have some fun, and we're going to have a jolly time this afternoon, aren't we, Billy?"
The little brother's round face beamed as he felt of the beads in his trousers' pocket.