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CHAPTER XIII.
THE RETURN.

Tney found a very pleasant place, indeed, for
their luncheon, under some shelving rocks, at the
angle between the ravine of the brook and the
shore of the pond. They could see the whole
surface of the pond, and the woods and mountains
beyond. There was only one house in sight, and
that was Mr. Emery’s. The unfinished end was
turned towards them. Lucy took out a mug
from the tin pail, and went to the brook to dip up
some water, to see if it was cool. Her mother
told her, before she went, that she had no doubt it
was cool. Lucy found it as her mother had said.
It was very cool indeed. She dipped up her
mug full from a little, deep place among some
stones covered with green moss. It looked very
cool, and it proved to be so on tasting it.

Lucy brought a mug of it to her mother.

“ Mother,” said Lucy, “how did you know it
was cool ?”

“ Because,” said her mother, “ brooks become
warm when they flow for a long distance across
an open country exposed to the rays of the sun.
But this brook comes directly down from the
mountains, flowing through the woods all the way ;
so that I think the water could not have had
time to get warm.”