“It looks just as though a poor little baby had been buried there,” whispered Tess. “But of course, it isn’t! Maybe there’s some animal trying to crawl out of the ground.” “O-o-o!” squealed Dot. “_What_ animal?” “I don’t know. Not a mole. Moles don’t make such a big hump in the ground.” As the girls wondered, Uncle Rufus came up from the henhouse. He saw the strange looking mound, too. “Glo-ree!” he gasped. “How come dat?” “We don’t know, Uncle Rufus,” said Tess eagerly. “We just found it.” “Somebody been buryin’ a dawg in we-uns back yard? My soul!” “Oh, it can’t be!” cried Tess. “And it isn’t Sandy-face,” Dot declared. “For she’s in the kitchen with all her children.” “Wait er bit—wait er bit,” said the old man, solemnly. “Unc’ Rufus gwine ter look inter dis yere matter. It sho’ is a misery”—meaning “mystery.” He brought a shovel and dug down beside the mound. Lifting out a huge shovelful of dirt, there were scattered all about the path a great number of swollen and messy brown things that, for a moment, the girls did not identify. Then Uncle Rufus lifted up his voice in a roar: “Looker yere! Looker yere! Missie Ruth! see wot you-all mak’ out o’ disher monkey-shines. Here’s dem dried apples, buried in de groun’ and swelled fit ter bust demselves.” [Illustration: “Looker yere! Looker yere! Missie Ruth! There dem dried apples, buried in de groun’”] Mrs. McCall as well as the other girls came running to see. It was Agnes that saw something else under the mound. She darted down the steps, put her hand into the hole and drew out the Alice-doll! The poor thing’s dress was ruined. Its hair was a mass of plastered apple, and its face as well. Such a disreputable looking thing! While the others cried out in wonder and disclaimed all knowledge of how the marvel could have happened, Agnes spoke two accusing words. “Double Trouble!” she cried, pointing her finger at Lillie Treble, who had just appeared, angelic face and all, at the back door. “Did that young’un do that?” demanded Mrs. McCall, vigorously. “She most certainly did,” declared Agnes. “She tried to get rid of the dried apples, and the doll Dot wouldn’t let her play with, at one and the same time. Isn’t she the mean thing?” Instantly Lillie’s face was convulsed into a mask of rage and dislike. “I hate all you girls!” she snarled. “I’ll do worse than that to you!” Mrs. McCall seized her like an eagle pouncing upon a rabbit. Mrs. McCall was very vigorous. She carried Lillie into the kitchen with one hand, and laid her abruptly, face down, over her knee. What happened during the next few moments was evidently the surprise of Lillie Treble’s young life. Her mother had never corrected her in that good, old-fashioned way. CHAPTER XX MR. HOWBRIDGE IS PERPLEXED Tess and Dot went out that morning, when the sun had dried the grass, to play with the lonely little Creamer girl, and they did not invite Lillie Treble to go with them.