loosed. Even Loraine did her part of the chattering.

"I feel so nice and _placid_ already!" enthused Billy.

"Oh, so do I!--so do I!" echoed Laura Ann. "It's such a comfort to get
one's chains off!--I felt mine slip off back there at that dear, funny
little station."

"Oh, was _that_ what I heard clanking?" offered quiet Loraine, and
was promptly cheered.

The meal was a merry one. And afterwards there was exploring to be done
about the little yard and orchard and up and down the road, in the dim,
sweet twilight, with the Talented One at the gate calling soft
directions.

"And I've got a blue pump for you," she laughed. "Just wait till
daylight! Don't anybody feel of it in the dark to see if it's blue,
because you'll find it's green! There's a story goes with the pump and
one with its mother--I mean with the boy-who-painted-its mother! Placid
Pond is full of stories."

"Nice, dozy, placid ones, I suppose," Laura Ann returned lightly. But
the Talented One shook her head.

"Wait till you hear them," she said gravely.

"Give us some of the titles to-night," coaxed Billy. They were all back
on the little doorsteps and the moon was rising, majestic and golden,
behind the trees.