"What do you s'pose they do over there?" Mart shrugged her shoulders. "I used to be curious but I'm not any more. They go off somewhere like that together all the time, packed up 'sif they were headin' for a whole winter's cruise. I guess I know. Like as not the boarder's paintin' Lav's picture and Lav don't want him to do it where people'll see on account of his being crooked." Mart, satisfied with her explanation, stretched herself luxuriously, her arms upflung. Sidney shuddered. "Oh, why should he want to paint Lavender's picture? I think he's cruel!" Then she remembered Dugald Allan's allusion to the flower on the crooked stem. "Maybe he's painting Lav's spirit." At this Mart raised herself on her elbow, stared at Sidney, and burst into a loud laugh. "Oh, that's the _best_! Lav's spirit! Oh, _my_! You're the funniest kid. Say, don't get sore but I just have to howl, you're so rich." She threw herself back in the sand and rolled from one side to the other. Sidney sat very still biting the lips that had betrayed her. She'd remember after this; she'd never make another slip that would provoke Mart to such amusement. Mart began looking hard at her again and she squirmed uneasily under the scrutiny. But Mart only asked: "Say, ain't your hair awful hot?" Relieved, Sidney answered promptly, "Yes. I hate it." She gave a fling to the heavy braids. "Why do you have it then? I'd cut it off. I cut mine. I wouldn't be bothered with a lot of hair. I s'pose your folks would make an awful fuss if you did, though." Sidney twisted her bare toes in the sand and frowned down at them. Yet it was not at their whiteness she frowned but at a sudden recollection of Mrs. Milliken's: "Always wear your hair like that, my lamb, it is so beautifully quaint." "I don't know that they'd mind. It's my own hair. I've thought of having it cut often." Mart sat upright. "Say, I'll do it for you--if you want me to. We can go straight home now. We'll divide our clams when we get to our house. That is if you're not afraid." "Afraid--of just cutting my hair? I may look a sight but who cares? I'll do it. Come on!" Sidney sprang to her feet, a challenge in her voice that Mart, of course, could not understand. Mart rose more leisurely and took the dripping basket of clams and seaweed. They were not far from Sunset Lane. It took them but a few moments to reach the Calkins' house--not long enough for Sidney's courage to falter. "Gran'ma isn't home, but anyway she wouldn't say anything. She lets me do just as I please. She never said a word when I cut my own hair. Sit down here and I'll find the shears in a jiffy."