Purchase of this book includes free trial access to www.million-books.com where you can read more than a million books for free. This is an OCR edition with typos. Excerpt from book: CHAPTER III. "A BIRD IN THE HAND." THE day of the picnic dawned as fair and sweet as if made for a pure girl's wedding, or a children's holiday. The gathering was to take place at Mackerel Cove, a little bay jutting inward, amid lovely groves of beech-trees, from a larger inlet of the Atlantic. A drive of a dozen miles stretched between the cove and Montfield; the picnickers taking their own time for starting, and speed in going, the rendezvous being at the hour fixed for dinner. Patty saw the family depart one by one. First Will went to call for Ease Apthorpe, the lady-elect of his heart or fancy; then Dr. Sanford drove off with his wife, intending to visit certain patients on the way; and, last of all, Flossy was swung lightly up into his buggy by the mighty arms of Burleigh Blood. " Don't you mean to go at all ? " the latter asked of Patty, who came running after them with Flossy's bowl of pop-corn. " I never tell my plans/' she laughed gayly. " Mother went off predicting that something dreadful was sure to happen. How do you know but I am afraid to go?" " Pooh ! She's going with Clarence Toxteth," Flossy said. " But" — began her escort. " There ! Drive on, and don't bother about me," said Patty. "I have usually been thought able to take care of my own affairs. A pleasant ride to you." She turned back toward the lonely house. Batha- lina Clemens was at work somewhere in the chambers, counteracting any tendency to too great cheerfulness which the beauty of the day might develop in her mind, by singing the most doleful of minors : — " ' Hearken, ye sprightly, and attend, ye vain ones ; Pause in your mirth, adversity consider; Learn from a friend's pen sentimental, painful Death-bed reflections,'" she sang, with fearful inflections and quavers....