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the tables； but her mother had followed those who went down to the beach。
At first Mrs。 Pasmer looked on at the practice of the stone…throwers with
disapproval； but suddenly she let herself go in this； as she did in other
matters that her judgment condemned； and began to throw stones herself；
she became excited； and made the wildest shots of any； accepting missiles
right and left； and making herself dangerous to everybody within a wide
circle。 A gentleman who had fallen a victim to her skill said； 〃Just
wait； Mrs。 Pasmer； till I get in front of the stake。〃
The men became seriously interested； and worked themselves red and hot；
the ladies soon gave it up； and sat down on the sand and began to talk。
They all owned themselves hungry； and from time to time they looked up
anxiously at the preparations for lunch on the ledge； where white napkins
were spread； with bottles at the four corners to keep them from blowing
away。 This use of the bottles was considered very amusing； the ladies
tried to make jokes about it； and the desire to be funny spread to
certain of the men who had quietly left off throwing at the stake because
they had wrenched their shoulders； they succeeded in being merry。 They
said they thought that coffee took a long time to boil。
A lull of expectation fell upon all； even Mavering sat down on the rocks
near the fire； and was at rest a few minutes； by order of Miss Anderson；
who said that the sight of his activity tired her to death。
〃I wonder why always boiled ham at a picnic！〃 said the lady who took a
final plate of it from a basket。 〃Under the ordinary conditions； few of
us can be persuaded to touch it。〃
〃It seems to be dear to nature； and to nature's children；〃 said Mrs。
Brinkley。 〃Perhaps because their digestions are strong。〃
〃Don't you wish that something could be substituted for it？〃 asked Miss。
Cotton。
〃There have been efforts to replace it with chicken and tongue in
sandwiches；〃 said Mrs。 Brinkley； 〃but I think they've only measurably
succeededabout as temperance drinks have in place of the real strong
waters。〃
〃On the boat coming up；〃 said Mavering； 〃we had a troupe of genuine darky
minstrels。 One of them sang a song about ham that rather took me
〃'Ham； good old ham！
Ham is de best ob meat；
It's always good and sweet；
You can bake it； you can boil it；
You can fry it； you can broil it
Ham； good old ham！'〃
〃Oh； how good！〃 sighed Mrs。 Brinkley。 〃How sincere！ How native！ Go on；
Mr。 Mavering； for ever。〃
〃I haven't the materials；〃 said Mavering； with his laugh。 〃The rest was
da capo。 But there was another song； about a coloured lady〃
〃'Six foot high and eight foot round；
Holler ob her foot made a hole in de ground。'〃
〃Ah； that's an old friend；〃 said Mrs。 Brinkley。 〃I remember hearing of
that coloured lady when I was a girl。 But it's a fine flight of the
imagination。 What else did they sing？〃
〃I can't remember。 But there was something they dancedto show how a
rheumatic old coloured uncle dances。〃
He jumped nimbly up； and sketched the stiff and limping figure he had
seen。 It was over in a flash。 He dropped down again； laughing。
〃Oh； how wonderfully good！〃 cried Mrs。 Brinkley； with frank joy。 〃Do it
again。〃
〃Encore！ Oh； encore！〃 came from the people on the beach。
Mavering jumped to his feet； and burlesqued the profuse bows of an actor
who refuses to repeat； he was about to drop down again amidst their wails
of protest。
〃No； don't sit down； Mr。 Mavering；〃 said the lady who had introduced the
subject of ham。 〃Get some of the young ladies； and go and gather some
blueberries for the dessert。 There are all the necessaries of life here；
but none of the luxuries。〃
〃I'm at the service of the young ladies as an escort；〃 said Mavering
gallantly； with an infusion of joke。 〃Will you come and pick blueberries
under my watchful eyes； Miss Pasmer？〃
〃They've gone to pick blueberries；〃 called the lady through her tubed
hand to the people on the beach； and the younger among them scrambled up
the rocks for cups and bowls to follow them。
Mrs。 Pasmer had an impulse to call her daughter back； and to make some
excuse to keep her from going。 She was in an access of decorum；
naturally following upon her late outbreak； and it seemed a very
pronounced thing for Alice to be going off into the woods with the young
man； but it would have been a pronounced thing to prevent her； and so
Mrs。 Pasmer submitted。
〃Isn't it delightful；〃 asked Mrs。 Brinkley； following them with her eyes；
〃to see the charm that gay young fellow has for that serious girl？ She
looked at him while he was dancing as if she couldn't take her eyes off
him； and she followed him as if he drew her by an invisible spell。 Not
that spells are ever visible；〃 she added； saving herself。 〃Though this
one seems to be；〃 she added further； again saving herself。
〃Do you really think so？〃 pleaded Miss Cotton。
〃Well； I say so； whatever I think。 And I'm not going to be caught up on
the tenter…hooks of conscience as to all my meanings； Miss Cotton。 I
don't know them all。 But I'm not one of the Aliceolaters； you know。〃
〃No； of course not。 But shouldn't youDon't you think it would be a
great pityShe's so superior； so very uncommon in every way； that it
hardly seemsAh； I should so like to see some one really finenot a
coarse fibre in him； don't you know。 Not that Mr。 Mavering's coarse。
But beside her he does seem so light！〃
〃Perhaps that's the reason she likes him。〃
〃No； no！ I can't believe that。 She must see more in him than we can。〃
〃I dare say she thinks she does。 At any rate； it's a perfectly evident
case on both sides； and the frank way he's followed her up here； and
devoted himself to her； as ifwell； not as if she were the only girl in
the world； but incomparably the bestis certainly not common。〃
〃No；〃 sighed Miss Cotton； glad to admit it； 〃that's beautiful。〃
XV。
In the edge of the woods and the open spaces among the trees the
blueberries grew larger and sweeter in the late Northern summer than a
more southern sun seems to make them。 They hung dense upon the low
bushes； and gave them their tint through the soft grey bloom that veiled
their blue。 Sweet…fern in patches broke their mass here and there； and
exhaled its wild perfume to the foot or skirt brushing through it。
〃I don't think there's anything much prettier than these clusters； do
you； Miss Pasmer？〃 asked Mavering； as he lifted a bunch pendent from the
little tree before he stripped it into the bowl he carried。 〃And see！
it spoils the bloom to gather them。〃 He held out a handful； and then
tossed them away。 〃It ought to be managed more aesthetically for an
occasion like this。 I'll tell you what； Miss Pasmer： are you used to
blueberrying？〃
〃No；〃 she said； 〃I don't know that I ever went blueberrying before。
Why？〃 she asked。
〃Because； if you haven't； you wouldn't be very efficient perhaps； and so
you might resign yourself to sitting on that log and holding the berries
in your lap； while I pick them。〃
〃But what about the bowls； then？〃
〃Oh； never mind them。 I've got an idea。 See here！〃 He clipped off a
bunch with