demolished the hamper that Ida Giles had bestowed on Sidney
Wilcox. It was a peace offering, I believe."

"And you should have seen the kind of `pieces' Bess made of it,"
commented Hazel with a merry laugh.

"Hush!" hissed Ed with his finger to his lips.

"Something tells me that the demolished hamper forbodes evil. You
will regret the day, Miss Elizabeth, that you spilled Sid
Wilcox's-"

"Pumpkin pie," finished Cora. "I never saw such pumpkiny pumpkin
pie in my life. I can smell it yet!"

"Mrs. Giles' famous home-made," quoted Walter. "Well, it might
have been worse - they might have eaten that pie."

"Say, fellows," said Jack suddenly, "this is all very pretty - the
girls, I mean, of course - but does it smite any one of you young
rustics that we have an engagement - ahem! At three-thirty,
wasn't it?"

"Precisely," declared Ed. "So much obliged for the feed; and do
we make a party call?"

"Of course," answered the pretty Ray, attempting to tie her huge
scarf, without having any idea of doing so. "We shall expect - "

"The bunch?" interrupted Jack, knowing Ray's preference for the