“Are you sure you can harness the horses properly?” asked Miss Lavinia, with characteristic caution, and then smiling at herself, as Martin hurried off to the stable.

* * * * *

In less than twenty minutes the sober gray horses turned out of the stable yard and up the road upon the most remarkable trip of their career.  Nothing strange was noticeable about the turnout, except that the traces hung a trifle loose, and that the occupants sat unusually far back under the hood for so pleasant an afternoon.  That is, until after they had passed Martha’s house in the lane and turned into the unfrequented back highway, then they both leaned forward, gave a sigh of relief, and, looking at each other, laughed aloud.

“Do you realize that we are eloping, like runaway school children?” said Miss Lavinia, “we two hitherto sober-minded Knickerbockers?”

“I realize that I like what we are doing very much, whatever it may be called,” replied Martin, “and that it is very considerate of you to spare me and do it in this way.  The conventional affair is very hard on a man of my years, all of whose contemporaries are either bald or rheumatic; besides, now I think of it, it is merely carrying out the ever-present precedent.  My father’s great-great-grand father and mother eloped in 1689 from Staten Island to the Bouerie, and the boat upset when they were going back.”

“Mercy on us!” exclaimed Miss Lavinia, “I hope we shall not upset!  I wonder if the wheels are on securely.  I thought I heard something rattle.  There it is again.”

As they reached the bottom of the long hill, Martin let the reins hang loose on the horses’ necks and, lowering the hood, looked back to see if he could find the cause of the jolting sound, accompanied by panting, as of a dog running.  Then he gave an exclamation of impatience, and pulled the horses up short, for there, alternately running and lifting up their feet and swinging, were the twins, clinging to the back of the gig!

Miss Lavinia gave a cry of dismay.  “Where did you come from, and where are you going?” she questioned rather sharply.  “We went to Martha’s, you know,” said Ian, as if his errand had been one of such importance that it was impossible she should forget it, “and she wasn’t there, so we thought we’d just look for those people we said about, by ourselves.  But we couldn’t find anybody, only a shiny black snake by the road, and he rubber-necked at us and spit some ’fore he ran away.  Then we saw grandpop’s horses coming, and when you went by we hooked on, and—­”

“’Cause we thought if you was looking for those people and found them, then we’d be there for the pink ice cream,” added Richard, cheerfully, supplementing Ian’s story when his breath gave out.

“I suppose we must turn around and take them home,” said Miss Lavinia, with a sigh.

“Not a bit of it.  Let them come with us; it is too late to turn back, unless,” he added, with a ring of mock humility in his tone, “you have changed your mind and wish time to think.  As for me, I’ve turned my back on even thinking whether they will be missed or who will worry.