“No,” replied Dorothy, thoughtfully.

“And I’ve got more news,” went on Tavia, “Miss Ellis has planned a picnic for Monday.  She is going to take our class to Glen Haven Falls.  Do get strong and come, if you don’t go I will not.”

“Oh, I am sure I will be all right by that time,” answered Dorothy, “in fact I am well now.  I am only staying out of school because Miss Ellis thought it best.  I wonder, Tavia, how we could ever think her unfair.  She is the nicest woman—­why, when she called she brought me jelly, and one of her splendid roses that she prizes so much.  I felt almost guilty to have spoken of her, as I did, about the procession on Memorial Day.”

“Well, she has not brought me jelly or roses yet,” replied Tavia, “and I hardly think she would, even had I the good fortune to be sick in bed.  Yes, I mean it!  I would like to see what would happen if I took sick.  But no danger.  Aunt Mary said she would rather feed two men than give me what I call enough.  It is not really enough, you know, but I call it that,” and she stretched out on the bench to show how “deliciously lazy” common health makes a girl.

“You certainly do your appetite justice,” said Dorothy laughing.  “Aunt Libby says it’s one thing to eat, and another thing to make your eating ‘tell.’  Now, you make your food—­”

“‘Tell.’  Certainly I do, and make it ‘tell’ out loud too.  I weigh—­how much do you think?”

“About ninety?”

“One hundred and five,” declared the girl.  “I wish you could go away for a week.  I am sure you would pick up and get the peaches back in your cheeks.”

“We will go away in vacation time,” replied Dorothy.  “This month will not be long going around.”

“Now I must run back home.  I have not had a chance to tell mother a bit of news.  You know it was the luckiest thing, ma wanted me to go to Rochester, and when the fuss came all I had to do was clear out.  Ma had been waiting for me to get a new dress and she was so tickled when I said I would go in my old one.  You see, Dorothy, Aunt Mary gives us lots of things, and no one had been out this spring.  Nannie, that’s my cousin, is just a little larger than I am, and oh, you should see the scrumbunctious dress I am going to wear to the picnic!  It is perfectly—­ glorious!” and Tavia wheeled around on her toe, threatening her boasted one hundred and five pounds avoirdupois with disaster.

With a promise to be back again in the evening Tavia left Dorothy and hurried across the fields to her home.

“Things seem to be straightening out,” thought Dorothy.  “Every thing is all right at school, Tavia is back, now if Sarah would only tell—­I have a good mind to run over to see her.”

It was a warm afternoon and Dorothy had no need to bother with wraps.  Aunt Libby was at the side porch so that in passing Dorothy called to her she would be back in a short time, then she crossed through the orchard, going under the very tree in the shade of which Sarah had been found suffering.  Dorothy stopped and looked up into the branches.  They were very low, some of them, so low that in fruit time girls could pick the apples without climbing for them.