THE BUTTERFLY HUNTERS. 1 59 



If it tires you to go down stairs, you can rest on your old 

 seat by the front door." 



Mrs. Webb threw her arm gently round the young girl 

 and supported her as they went down stairs. It was a 

 moment of great excitement to Annie. When they reached 

 the door she turned away from her old seat with a half- 

 suppressed sigh, as she thought of the long, long days she 

 had spent there, and leaning on her mother's arm passed 

 out into the sunny yard. It was true then at last. She 

 stood out under the trees and among the fallen leaves and 

 rustled them with her own little feet. She thought she 

 had never heard sweeter music than the rustling of those 

 leaves. When she at last turned to go back to the house, 

 her face was flushed and her eyes shone with excitement. 



"The boys can have their Festival now, mother," said 

 she. " They have been very good to wait for me, but they 

 need not wait any longer." 



The boys had selected a lovely spot on the side of the 

 mountain for their Festival. The Mountain Stream started 

 from several springs near the hill-top, in the midst of a 

 forest of noble Maples. For a little distance below its 

 sources the banks on each side were gently sloped, smooth, 

 and grassy, and this was the spot selected for the Festival 

 ground. Just below this spot there was a beautiful cas- 

 cade, which went tumbhng down into a deep and narrow 

 ravine. The sides of the chasm were rock and quite per- 



