drove up to Mr. Hooks's to take in Clara, she being the picnicker
nearest his starting point. He did not know that she was a put
off-er. She was just trimming a hat for the ride when Bob's wagon was
announced. She hadn't begun her breakfast, though all the rest of the
family had finished the meal, while the lunch which should have been
basketed the previous night was scattered over the house from the
parlor center-table to the wood-shed.

Clara opened a window and called to Bob that she would be ready in
a minute. Then she appealed to everybody to help her. There was a
hurly-burly, to be sure. She asked mamma to braid her hair; little
brother to bring her blue hair-ribbon from her bureau drawer; little
Lucy to bring a basket for the prospective nuts; big brother to get
the inevitable light shawl which mamma would be sure to make her take
along. She begged papa to butter some bread for her, and cut her steak
into mouthfuls to facilitate her breakfast, while the maid was put to
collecting the widely scattered lunch. Mamma put baby, whom she was
feeding, off her lap--he began to scream; little brother left his
doughnut on a chair--the cat began to eat it; little Lucy left her
doll on the floor--big brother stepped on its face, for he did not
leave his book, but tried to read as he went to get the light shawl;
papa laid down his cigar to prepare the put-offer's breakfast--it went
out; the maid dropped the broom--the wind blew the trash from the
dust-pan over the swept floor. Clara continued to trim the hat. As she
was putting in the last pin, mamma reached the tip end of the hair,
and called for the ribbon to tie the braid. "Here 'tis," said little
brother. "Mercy!" cried Clara, "he's got my new blue sash, stringing
it along through all the dust. Goose! do you think I could wear that
great long wide thing on my hair?" Little brother said "Scat!" and
rushed to the rescue of his doughnut, while Lucy came in dragging the