TIVO MAY-QUEENS 277

“She is that,” said Eliza Green, with a queer shine in
her eyes; then, changing her tone, “Here, you, Laviny,
don’t you know they ’re a-waitin’? You ain’t a-maki
that air cape, be yer? I never-see such a child.”

Laviny came stumbling out with her crutch only half
under her arm. Her face was so flushed and happy-look-
ing that Mrs. Green gave her a slap as she passed out.

“Oh! oh!” exclaimed one of the girls.

“That ’s nothing,” laughed Laviny; “that ’s only her_
way o’ kissin’ me. Aunt’s real good. Maybe she “Il go
with us if you ask her.”

One of the girls ran into the shanty, but came quickly
out again with, “She says what ’s the washin’ to do, she ’d
like to know ?”

Nobody stopped to answer the question, and now Jake
and Charley and Pete came running toward them. i

“ Up for a ride, little missy, grunted Jake, as, suiting the
action to the word, he lifted Laviny up to a secure seat on
his great square shoulder. “Here we go!”

It was a beautiful procession, after all. Jake ahead
with his sunburned cheek looking all the ruddier beside
Laviny’s sweet, pale face, Tom Tice with his pitcherful,
Kitty Carr with her pailful, and all the rest following with
laden aprons and caps—it was a procession of flowers led
on by the lily-girl shining up in Jake’s arms. At last they
reached the May-eground. It was only two fields off from
Mrs. Duplaine’s elegant place. They could see Lotty’s
beautiful May-pole distinctly, with its fluttering ribbons
and long festoons of flowers. What if their May-pole was

only a rake planted in the ground and wreathed with
18*