“Did she?” Rosie asked listlessly. “She never told me that, but you see, she says nothing of sailing. She’s probably going to spend the summer there. I remember that she told me of a beautiful place they lived in one summer in England. She said that there was a forest not far from the house where Robin Hood and his men used to meet. Probably she will go there.” Rosie stopped for a minute and then the listlessness in her voice changed to a kind of despair. “I don’t believe she’ll ever come back.” “I know she will,” Dicky announced with decision. “The last thing Maida said was, ‘I’ll come back,’ and she always keeps her promises.” “I wouldn’t be surprised if she came back this summer some time,” Arthur said. “Anyway I know she said they’d sail from England.” “Yes but by that time we’ll all be away.” Laura’s voice held a disappointed note. “We’re going to Marblehead in a week or two for the whole summer and you’re going to Weymouth, Rosie, aren’t you?” Rosie nodded. “Only for two weeks though.” “Where are you going?” Laura asked Arthur. “I don’t know. When my father gets his two weeks’ vacation, maybe we’ll take a tramp somewhere, that is if it doesn’t come after school has begun.” “And where are you going, Dicky?” Laura went on. “Nowhere. We’re going to stay here in Charlestown. Primrose Court will be my vacation. Mother says she will try to take us to City Point or Revere or Nantasket every Sunday. Now what are we going to do to-day?” “We might go upstairs in the cupola and play games,” Harold suggested. “No I don’t want to stay in the house the first day of vacation,” Rosie announced discontentedly. “Let’s play stunts,” suggested Dicky who, since his lame leg had recovered, could never seem to get enough of athletic exercise. “Too hot,” decided Laura. “Hide-and-go-seek,” suggested Arthur. “Too hot,” decided Harold. “Follow-My-Leader,” suggested Dicky. “Too hot,” decided Rosie. “Hoist-the-Sail,” suggested Arthur. “Too hot,” decided Laura. “Prisoners’ Base,” suggested Harold. “Too hot,” decided Rosie. “Tag,” suggested Arthur. “Too hot,” decided Harold. Laura burst out laughing. “Every game anybody proposes is too hot for somebody else. I say let’s all lie face downwards and think and think and _think_ until somebody gets an idea of something new that we can do.” Everybody adopted her suggestion. The four on the grass turned over, lay like stone images carved there. Rosie turned over in the hammock. “I wish Maida’d come home!” came from her in muffled accents before she, too, subsided. * * * * * * * A whole minute passed. Nobody moved. Even Rosie kept rigid.