that by climbing gingerly on the rotten roof of the woodshed, followed by almost superhuman scrambling and scratching, they could get up into the leafy secrecy of the grand old maple.  More than this, up high in the tree they found a delightful arrangement of branches that seemed positively made for them.  These branches must be utilized, and it was in the act of utilizing them that they called upon their sister’s friend for help.

“Do you see this board?” began Lark, exhibiting with some pride a solid board about two feet in length.

“My eyesight is quite unimpaired,” answered Jerry, for he knew his twins.

“Well, we found this over by the Avery barn.  They have a big scrap pile out there.  We couldn’t find anything around here that would suit, so we looked, over there.  It’s just a pile of rubbish, and we knew they wouldn’t mind.”

“Else you would not have taken it, eh?  Anything like apples, for instance, is quite under the ban.”

“Yes, indeed,” smiled Lark.  “We’re too old to steal apples.”

“Of course,” added Carol.  “When we need our neighbor’s apples, we send Connie.  And get nicely punished for it, too, I promise you.”

“Quite so!  And this exquisite board?”

“Well, we’ve found a perfectly gorgeous place up in the old tree where we can make a seat.  It’s quite a ways out from the trunk, and when the wind blows it swings splendidly.  But it isn’t very comfortable sitting on a thin limb, and so we want a seat.  It’s a fine place, I tell you.  We thought you could nail this securely on to the limbs,—­there are two right near each other, evidently put there on purpose for us.  See what dandy big nails we have!”

“From the Avery’s woodshed, I suppose,” he suggested, smiling again.

“Oh, they are quite rusty.  We found them in a sack in an old barrel.  It was in the scrap heap.  We’re very good friends with the Averys, very good, indeed,” she continued hastily.  “They allow us to rummage around at will—­in the barn.”

“And see this rope,” cried Carol.  “Isn’t it a dandy?”

“Ah!  The Avery barn must be inexhaustible in its resources.”

“How suspicious you are, Jerry,” mourned Lark.

“I wish we were that way, instead of innocent and bland and trustful.  Maybe we would get rich, too.  This is the first time I ever really understood how you came to be a success in business.”

“But you are quite wrong this time,” said Lark seriously.  “Old Mr. Avery gave me this rope.”

“Yes, he did!  Lark told him she was looking for a rope just exactly like this one, and then he gave it to her.  He caught the idea of philanthropy right away.  He’s a very nice old gentleman, I tell you.  He’s so trusting and unsuspicious.  I’m very fond of people like that.”

“We thought when you had the board nicely nailed on, you might rope it securely to the limbs above.  They are in very good position, and that will make it absolutely safe.  Do you suppose you can do that, Jerry?  Do you get seasick when you climb high?”