Frank, you must see to the hammocks and swings, and games if you want them." "Yes, sir," said Frank, "I'll take my shuffleboard and ring-toss.

And we'll build a fire, and make coffee, shall we mother ?" "Yes, dear; Patty and I will make the coffee," said Aunt Alice with a sidelong smile at her niece.
"Then I know it will be good," said Frank.
Saturday was a beautiful day, clear and bright and not too warm.
Immediately after luncheon four stages went around and gathered up about fifty young people, and a wagon full of provisions for feasting and fun followed them to Foster's Woods.
Patty wore a pretty white frock, which, under Aunt Alice's instruction, she had neatly mended, and Mrs.Elliott's skilful laundress had made clean and crisp.
The Vernondale young people proved to be a merry, jolly crowd, and pretty Patty soon became a favorite.
Frank and Marian introduced her to everybody and took special care that she should never lack for companions or amusement.
And there was so much to do, and Patty enjoyed it all.

She was clever at the games, and owing to her practice at the Hurly-Burly, she could row as well as any boy.
The lake was a beautiful bit of water, and in some parts of it pond-lilies grew in abundance.
The young people gathered a quantity of these, both white and pink, to decorate the supper-table.
Then when the feast was ready, Uncle Charlie called the children together, and they came with a will, for their afternoon out of doors had given them a good appetite for the hamwiches and jamwiches.
After supper was over, it was about seven o'clock, and Uncle Charlie told his young guests that they could ramble round for half an hour, and then they would start on their homeward ride.
The path by the side of the lake was a very pretty one, and Mrs.Elliott and her husband walked along there with little Gilbert between them.

The child was getting sleepy and a little wilful; and while Jane, his nurse, was eating her supper, his parents had him in charge.
Soon they heard Frank's voice calling, "Father, won't you please come here a minute and help us get this swing down ?" Mr.Elliott went to help the boys, and Mrs.Elliott and Gilbert sat down on the grassy bank to await his return.
"Mamma," said the child, "shall I pick you some pretty flowers ?" "Yes, baby," said his mother, who was looking at the sunset, and only half listening, "but don't go far away." "No," said the little fellow, and how it happened, Mrs.Elliott never knew, but seemingly in a moment, Gilbert had climbed into a boat and was afloat alone on the lake.

For an instant Mrs.Elliott was too frightened even to scream; and then, she dared not, for the boat was a little, round-bottomed affair, and Gilbert was jumping about in it so excitedly, that if suddenly startled he might upset the boat.
With great presence of mind his mother spoke to him gently.
"Gilbert, dear," she said, "sit down in the middle of the boat, and be quiet until I call papa, will you?
There's a good boy." "I am a good boy," Gilbert called back; "I'm going to get mamma pretty pink pond-flowers." The boat was drifting farther and farther out, and the child sitting in the bow, rocked it from one side to the other.
"Gilbert," said his mother, sternly, "sit right down in the bottom of the boat.