Aunt Kate was making pies. Her eyes twinkled as she told Virginia, "I don't gather from this letter that your friend Mrs. Henderson spent much time weeping over Charles Augustus's crutch. She is going to get rid of the old thing. That line or two you wrote did the lame boy much more good than all the tears you and Helen wasted around here the other morning." Virginia bobbed her head in agreement with the wisdom of her aunt. Then she climbed the stairs to make ready for her trip, lifting a sweet little voice in song. As Aunt Kate heard her, she smiled gently; but her face grew suddenly stern as she muttered, "Until I settle brother Obadiah's hash, I'd better keep an umbrella and a mackintosh handy if I don't want to get wet"; after which she dusted the flour from her hands with great vigor. The two girls gave little time to their lunch that noon, and soon afterwards started up the pond in a canoe. Helen was filled with energy. She dug her paddle into the water and pulled mightily. "Stop, Helen, we are turning around," protested Virginia. "Paddle your share, 'V.'," retorted Helen with an air of injury. "Remember, you are not a passenger." By vigorously wielding her paddle, Virginia managed to hold the canoe on its course. "Please don't make me work so hard, Helen," she objected. "We want to hurry and get there." "We are doing that splendidly, 'V.' We can't go very fast if you want to sit and dream. Paddle, dear heart--work your way." [Illustration: "'YOU ARE MY SWEETHEART,' THE BRAZEN HELEN TOLD HIM"] So it came to pass that Virginia paddled to keep up with Helen and that young woman paddled to make her cousin work, and thus the light canoe was driven over the water with speed and they soon reached the end of their voyage. Charles Augustus espied their approach afar off and hobbled down the meadow path to meet them with joyous outcry. "Hello, you came to see me, didn't you?" "Of course. You are my sweetheart," the brazen Helen told him. "My!" he sighed, shaking his head after the manner of an elderly philosopher. "It's been a long time since I saw you. I expected you every day. Mother said that she guessed you were busy people." Mrs. Curtis came to the door at the sound of voices. Her face lighted when she recognized them. "Charles has been watching for you each day," she told them. "I tried to persuade him that you might have interests besides visiting small boys; but I wasn't very successful." Charles Augustus balked in the pathway, pulling at the hand of Helen. "Don't let's go in. It's much nicer out here. Let's play as we did the other day."