the ledge of it with their hands, drop down into the nearest stall. To
be sure they were likely to fall,--more likely than not,--and their
hands were splinter-filled and their heads blue-bumped most of the
time. But splinters and bumps did not interfere with their pursuit of
pleasure.

Now the twins had a Secret Society,--of which they were the founders,
the officers and the membership body. Its name was Skull and
Crossbones. Why that name was chosen perhaps even the twins themselves
could not explain, but it sounded deep, dark and bloody,--and so was
the Society. Lark furnished the brain power for the organization but
her sister was an enthusiastic and energetic second. Carol's club name
was Lady Gwendolyn, and Lark's was Sir Alfred Angelcourt ordinarily,
although subject to frequent change. Sometimes she was Lord Beveling,
the villain of the plot, and chased poor Gwendolyn madly through
corn-crib, horse stalls and haymow. Again she was the dark-browed
Indian silently stalking his unconscious prey. Then she was a fierce
lion lying in wait for the approaching damsel. The old barn saw
stirring times after the coming of the new parsonage family.

"Hark! Hark!" sounded a hissing whisper from the corn-crib, and
Connie, eavesdropping outside the barn, shivered sympathetically.

"What is it! Oh, what is it?" wailed the unfortunate lady.

"Look! Look! Run for your life!"

Then while Connie clutched the barn door in a frenzy, there was a sound
of rattling corn as the twins scrambled upward, a silence, a low thud,
and an unromantic "Ouch!" as Carol bumped her head and stumbled.