What's the next syllable?
strue?
Ah ha, um h'm! we shall see presently," as the books were closed and the young actors vanished through the door into the hall.
They were hardly gone when Zoe entered, carrying a small basket filled with flowers which she began to strew here and there over the floor.
"Ah ha! ah ha! um h'm!" cried Cousin Ronald, "she strews the flowers; misconstrue is the word na doot." "Ah Cousin Ronald, somebody must have told you," laughed Zoe, tripping from the room.
"Oh!" cried Rosie Lacey, "I see now why the boys didn't take part this time; because they couldn't be miss." "Here they come now, boys and girls too," exclaimed Grace.

"Why how they're laughing! I wonder what's the joke ?" They were all laughing as at something very amusing, and after entering the room did nothing but sit or stand about laughing all the time; fairly shaking with laughter, laughing, laughing till the tears came into their eyes, and the older people joined in without in the least knowing the exciting cause of so much mirth.
"Come, children, tell us the joke," said Mr.Dinsmore at length.
"O grandpa, can't you see ?" asked Rosie Travilla, and they all hurried from the room, to return presently in a procession, each carrying something in his or her hand.
Harold had a log of wood, Herbert a post, Max a block, Frank the wooden part of an old musket, while Chester, though empty-handed, wore an old fashioned stock or cravat and held his head very stiffly.
Maud, dressed as a huckster, had a basket filled with apples, oranges, nuts and candies.

Sydney, wearing an old cloak and straw hat, had a basket on her arm in which were needles, tapes, buttons, pins, and other small wares such as are often hawked about the streets.
Lulu and Eva brought up the rear, carrying the parrot and Gracie's kitten.
Maud and Sydney made the circuit of the room, the one crying, "Apples and Oranges! buy any apples and oranges ?" the other asking, "Want any pins to-day?
needles, buttons, shoe-strings ?" "No," said Grandma Rose, "Have you nothing else to offer ?" "No, ma'am, this is my whole stock in trade," replied Sydney.
"I laid in a fresh stock of fruit this morning, ma'am, and it's good enough for anybody," sniffed Maud, with indignant air.
"Do you call that a musket, sir ?" asked Chester of Frank.
"No, sir; I called it the stock of one." "Lulu and Eva, why bring those creatures in here ?" asked Herbert, elevating his eyebrows as in astonishment.
"Because they're our live stock," replied Lulu.
Now Frank began to play the part of a clown or buffoon, acting in a very silly and stupid manner, while the others looked on laughing and pointing their fingers at him in derision.
"Frank, can't you behave yourself ?" exclaimed Maud.

"It mortifies me to see you making yourself the laughing-stock of the whole company." "Laughing-stock--laughing-stock," said several voices among the spectators, the captain adding, "Very well done indeed!" "Thank you, sir," said Harold.

"If the company are not tired we will give them one more." "Let us have it," said his grandfather.
Some of the girls now joined the spectators, while Harold drew out a little stand, and he, Chester, and Herbert seated themselves about it with paper and pencils before them, assuming a very business-like air.
Frank had stepped out to the hall.