“Now，justoncemore，Maria，“hewassaying。“Tellittousjustoncemore。“Maria’svoicecameupthestairwayinamonotone。MarcusandMcTeaguecaughtaphrasefromtimetotime。
“Thereweremorethanahundredpieces，andeveryoneofthemgold——justthatpunch-bowlwasworthafortune-thick，fat，redgold。“
“Getontotothat，willyou？“observedMarcus。“Theoldskinhasgotherstartedontheplate。Ain’ttheyapairforyou？“
“Anditranglikebells，didn’tit？“promptedZerkow。
“Sweeter’nchurchbells，andclearer。“
“Ah，sweeter’nbells。Wasn’tthatpunch-bowlawfulheavy？“
“Allyoucoulddotoliftit。“
“Iknow。Oh，Iknow，“answeredZerkow，clawingathislips。
“Wherediditallgoto？Wherediditgo？“
Mariashookherhead。
“It’sgone，anyhow。“
“Ah，gone，gone！Thinkofit！Thepunch-bowlgone，andtheengravedladle，andtheplatesandgoblets。Whatasightitmusthavebeenallheapedtogether！“
“Itwasawonderfulsight。“
“Yes，wonderful；itmusthavebeen。“
Onthelowerstepsofthatcheapflat，theMexicanwomanandthered-hairedPolishJewmusedlongoverthatvanished，half-mythicalgoldplate。
MarcusandthedentistspentWashington’sBirthdayacrossthebay。ThejourneyoverwasonelongagonytoMcTeague。
Heshookwithaformless，uncertaindread；adozentimeshewouldhaveturnedbackhadnotMarcusbeenwithhim。Thestolidgiantwasasnervousasaschoolboy。HefanciedthathiscalluponMissSieppewasanoutrageousaffront。Shewouldfreezehimwithastare；hewouldbeshownthedoor，wouldbeejected，disgraced。
AstheygotoffthelocaltrainatBStreetstationtheysuddenlycollidedwiththewholetribeofSieppes——themother，father，threechildren，andTrina——equippedforoneoftheireternalpicnics。TheyweretogotoSchuetzenPark，withinwalkingdistanceofthestation。Theyweregroupedaboutfourlunchbaskets。Oneofthechildren，alittleboy，heldablackgreyhoundbyaropearounditsneck。Trinaworeablueclothskirt，astripedshirtwaist，andawhitesailor；aboutherroundwaistwasabeltofimitationalligatorskin。
AtonceMrs。SieppebegantotalktoMarcus。Hehadwrittenoftheircoming，butthepicnichadbeendecideduponafterthearrivalofhisletter。Mrs。Sieppeexplainedthistohim。Shewasanimmenseoldladywithapinkfaceandwonderfulhair，absolutelywhite。TheSieppeswereaGerman-Swissfamily。
“Wegotoderpark，SchuetzenPark，mitalledemchildern，alittleeggs-kursion，ehnotsoh？Webreathederfreshesair，acelubration，apignicbeiderseashoreon。Ach，dotwullbesohgay，ah？“
“Youbetitwill。It’llbeoutasight，“criedMarcus，enthusiasticinaninstant。“Thisism’friendDoctorMcTeagueIwroteyouabout，Mrs。Sieppe。“
“Ach，derdoktor，“criedMrs。Sieppe。
McTeaguewaspresented，shakinghandsgravelyasMarcusshoulderedhimfromonetotheother。
Mr。Sieppewasalittlemanofamilitaryaspect，fullofimportance，takinghimselfveryseriously。Hewasamemberofarifleteam。OverhisshoulderwasslungaSpringfieldrifle，whilehisbreastwasdecoratedbyfivebronzemedals。
Trinawasdelighted。McTeaguewasdumfounded。Sheappearedpositivelygladtoseehim。
“Howdoyoudo，DoctorMcTeague，“shesaid，smilingathimandshakinghishand。“It’snicetoseeyouagain。Look，seehowfinemyfillingis。“Sheliftedacornerofherlipandshowedhimtheclumsygoldbridge。
Meanwhile，Mr。Sieppetoiledandperspired。Uponhimdevolvedtheresponsibilityoftheexcursion。Heseemedtoconsideritamatterofvastimportance，averitableexpedition。
“Owgooste！“heshoutedtothelittleboywiththeblackgreyhound，“youwillderhoundundbasketnumberthreecarry。Dertervins，“headded，callingtothetwosmallestboys，whoweredressedexactlyalike，“willreleefoneunuddermitdercamp-stuhlundbasketnumberfour。Datiscomprehend，hay？Whenwemakederstart，youchildernwillinderadvancemarch。Datisyourorders。Butwedonotstart，“heexclaimed，excitedly；“weremain。AchGott，Selina，whodoesnotarrive。“
Selina，itappeared，wasanieceofMrs。Sieppe’s。Theywereonthepointofstartingwithouther，whenshesuddenlyarrived，verymuchoutofbreath。Shewasaslender，unhealthylookinggirl，whooverworkedherselfgivinglessonsinhand-paintingattwenty-fivecentsanhour。
McTeaguewaspresented。Theyallbegantotalkatonce，fillingthelittlestation-housewithaconfusionoftongues。
“Attention！“criedMr。Sieppe，hisgold-headedcaneinonehand，hisSpringfieldintheother。“Attention！Wedepart。“Thefourlittleboysmovedoffahead；thegreyhoundsuddenlybegantobark，andtugathisleash。Theotherspickeduptheirbundles。
“Vorwarts！“shoutedMr。Sieppe，wavinghisrifleandassumingtheattitudeofalieutenantofinfantryleadingacharge。Thepartysetoffdowntherailroadtrack。
Mrs。Sieppewalkedwithherhusband，whoconstantlylefthersidetoshoutanorderupanddowntheline。MarcusfollowedwithSelina。McTeaguefoundhimselfwithTrinaattheendoftheprocession。
“Wegooffonthesepicnicsalmosteveryweek，“saidTrina，bywayofabeginning，“andalmosteveryholiday，too。Itisacustom。“
“Yes，yes，acustom，“answeredMcTeague，nodding；“acustom——that’stheword。“
“Don’tyouthinkpicnicsarefinefun，DoctorMcTeague？“shecontinued。“Youtakeyourlunch；youleavethedirtycityallday；youraceaboutintheopenair，andwhenlunchtimecomes，oh，aren’tyouhungry？Andthewoodsandthegrasssmellsofine！“
“Idon’know，MissSieppe，“heanswered，keepinghiseyesfixedonthegroundbetweentherails。“Ineverwentonapicnic。“
“Neverwentonapicnic？“shecried，astonished。“Oh，you’llseewhatfunwe’llhave。Inthemorningfatherandthechildrendigclamsinthemudbytheshore，an’webakethem，and——oh，there’sthousandsofthingstodo。“
“OnceIwentsailingonthebay，“saidMcTeague。“Itwasinatugboat；wefishedofftheheads。Icaughtthreecodfishes。“
“I’mafraidtogooutonthebay，“answeredTrina，shakingherhead，“sailboatstipoversoeasy。Acousinofmine，Selina’sbrother，wasdrownedoneDecorationDay。Theyneverfoundhisbody。Canyouswim，DoctorMcTeague？“
“Iusedtoatthemine。“
“Atthemine？Oh，yes，Iremember，Marcustoldmeyouwereamineronce。“
“Iwasacar-boy；allthecar-boysusedtoswiminthereservoirbytheditcheveryThursdayevening。Oneofthemwasbitbyarattlesnakeoncewhilehewasdressing。HewasaFrenchman，namedAndrew。Heswelledupandbegantotwitch。“
“Oh，howIhatesnakes！They’resocrawlyandgraceful——
but，justthesame，Iliketowatchthem。Youknowthatdrugstoreoverintownthathasashowcasefullofliveones？“
“Wekilledtherattlerwithacartwhip。“
“Howfardoyouthinkyoucouldswim？Didyouevertry？
D’youthinkyoucouldswimamile？“
“Amile？Idon’tknow。Inevertried。IguessIcould。“
“Icanswimalittle。SometimesweallgoouttotheCrystalBaths。“
“TheCrystalBaths，huh？Canyouswimacrossthetank？“
“Oh，Icanswimallrightaslongaspapaholdsmychinup。
Soonashetakeshishandaway，downIgo。Don’tyouhatetogetwaterinyourears？“
“Bathing’sgoodforyou。“
“Ifthewater’stoowarm，itisn’t。Itweakensyou。“
Mr。Sieppecamerunningdownthetracks，wavinghiscane。
“Tooneside，“heshouted，motioningthemoffthetrack；
“derdraingomes。“AlocalpassengertrainwasjustpassingBStreetstation，somequarterofamilebehindthem。
Thepartystoodtoonesidetoletitpass。Marcusputanickelandtwocrossedpinsupontherail，andwavedhishattothepassengersasthetrainroaredpast。Thechildrenshoutedshrilly。Whenthetrainwasgone，theyallrushedtoseethenickelandthecrossedpins。Thenickelhadbeenjoltedoff，butthepinshadbeenflattenedoutsothattheyboreafaintresemblancetoopenedscissors。Agreatcontentionaroseamongthechildrenforthepossessionofthese“scissors。“Mr。Sieppewasobligedtointervene。Hereflectedgravely。Itwasamatteroftremendousmoment。
Thewholepartyhalted，awaitinghisdecision。