"They did! Why, the silly things!" And the gentle woman looked as seriously vexed as she ever did look--she had so wanted to give them the first silk-stocking experience herself. "Oh, here you are," cried Prudence, stepping quickly in, and speaking very brightly to counterbalance the gloom she had expected to encounter. She started back in some dismay when she saw the twins rolling and rocking with laughter, and Aunt Grace leaning against the dresser for support, with Connie on the floor, quite speechless. "Good for you, twins,--that's the way to take hard knocks," she said. "It wasn't a very nice trick, though of course papa didn't understand how you felt about silk stockings. It wasn't his fault. But Fairy and I ought to be ashamed, and we are. I went out and got you some real genuine silk ones myself, so you needn't pray for them any more." Prudence was shocked, a little hurt, at the outburst that followed her words. "Well, such a family!" Aunt Grace exclaimed. And then Carol pulled her bodily down beside her on the bed and for a time they were all incapable of explanations. "What is the joke?" Prudence asked, again and again, smiling,--but still feeling a little pique. She had counted on gladdening their sorry little hearts! "Stockings, stockings--Oh, such a family!" shrieked Carol. "There's no playing jokes on the twins," said Aunt Grace weakly. "It takes the whole family to square up. It's too expensive." Then Lark explained, and Prudence sat down and joined the merriment, which waxed so noisy that Mr. Starr from the library and Fairy from the kitchen, ran in to investigate. "April Fool, April Fool," cried Carol, "We never played a trick like this, Larkie--this is our masterpiece." "You're the nicest old things that ever lived," said Lark, still laughing, but with great warmth and tenderness in her eyes and her voice. "But you can take the stockings back and save your money if you like--we love you just as much." But this the happy donors stoutly refused to do. The twins had earned this wealth of hose, and finally, wiping their eyes, the twins began to smooth their hair and adjust their ribbons and belts. "What's the matter?" "Where are you going?" "Will you buy the rest of us some silk stockings?" queried the family, comic-opera effect. "Where are we going?" Carol repeated, surprised, seeming to feel that any one should know where they were going, though they had not spoken. "We're going to call on our friends, of course," explained Lark. "Of course," said Carol, jabbing her hair pins in with startling energy. "And we've got to hurry. We must go to Mattie's, and Jean's, and Betty's, and Fan's, and Birdie's, and Alice's, and--say, Lark, maybe we'd better divide up and each take half. It's kind of late,--and we mustn't miss any." "Well, what on earth!" gasped Prudence, while the others stared in speechless amazement. "For goodness' sake, Carol, hurry. We have to get clear out to Minnie's to-night, if we miss our supper."