So the vacation passed, and Indian summer came.  And the girls went back to their studies once more, reluctantly, yet unaccountably glad even in their reluctance.  It is always that way with students,—­real students.  They regret the passing of vacation days, but the thought of “going back to school” has its own tingling joys of anticipation.

It was Saturday evening.  The early supper at the parsonage was over, the twins had washed the dishes, and still the daylight lingered.  Prudence and Jerry sat side by side, and closely, on the front porch, talking in whispers.  Fairy had gone for a stroll with the still faithful Babbie.  Connie and the twins had evidently vanished.  Ah—­not quite that!  Carol and Lark came swiftly around the corner of the parsonage.

“Good evening,” said Lark politely, and Prudence sat up abruptly.  The twins never wasted politeness!  They wanted something.

“Do you mind if we take Jerry around by the woodshed for a few minutes, Prue?”

“I’ll come along,” said Prudence, rising.

“Oh, no,” protested Lark, “we do not want you,—­just Jerry, and only for a little while.”

Prudence sniffed suspiciously.  “What are you going to do to him?” she demanded.

“We won’t hurt him,” grinned Carol impishly.  “We had intended to tie him to a stake and burn him alive.  But since you have interceded on his behalf, we’ll let him off with a simple scalping.”

“Maybe he’s afraid to come,” said Lark, “for there are two of us, and we are mighty men of valor.”

“That’s all right,” Prudence answered defensively.  “I’d sooner face a tribe of wild Indians any day than you twins when you are mischief-bent.”

“Oh, we just want to use him a few minutes,” said Carol impatiently.  “Upon our honor, as Christian gentlemen, we promise not to hurt a hair of his head.”

“Oh, come along, and cut out the comedy,” Jerry broke in, laughing.  “I’ll be back in two minutes, Prue.  They probably want me to shoo a chicken out of their way.  Or maybe the cat has been chasing them.”

Once safely around the corner, the twins changed their tactics.

“We knew you weren’t afraid,” said Lark artistically, “we were just teasing Prudence.  We know we couldn’t hurt you.”

“Of course,” emphasized Carol.  “We want to ask a favor of you, that’s all.  It’s something we can’t do ourselves, but we knew you could do it, all right.”

Jerry perceived the drift of this argument.  “I see!  I’m paid in advance for my service.  What’s the job?”

Then the twins led him to the woodshed.  This woodshed stood about twenty feet from the back door of the parsonage, and was nine feet high in front, the roof sloping down at the back.  Close beside the shed grew a tall and luxuriant maple.  The lower limbs had been chopped off, and the trunk rose clear to a height of nearly twelve feet before the massive limbs branched out.  The twins had discovered