"See here, Horace," said Grace, very grandly, "we think you'd better go a-strawberrying to-day."
"I reckon I won't if I don't want to," said Horace, working the flag out of his cap. He knew the girls thought he was almost always in the way.
"I want to tell you something, Horace," said aunt Madge, stroking his hair. "Mr. Allen is going out to North Pond with some other gentleman, fishing, and I begged him to let you go; and he said he would, though he wouldn't take the girls for any thing."
"There, girls," cried Horace, with beaming face. "Did Mr. Allen truly say so, auntie? Of course he wouldn't have girls go. If we caught a fish, how they would scream; wouldn't they, though?"
Horace darted off to find Mr. Allen, and so he was out of the girls' way.
"Now," said aunt Madge, smiling, "tell me what girls you want to ask, Grace."
So they gave several names—Grace and Susy—which Prudy repeated after them.
"But where is Abby Grant?" said aunt Madge. "Don't you want her?"
Grace and Susy looked at each other without speaking. Prudy looked at them.
"I don't go with such poor girls when I'm home," said Grace.