n to-morrow morning to see us off?"
asked David Nesbit, his question including the four girls.

"Of course," replied Grace. "Don't we always see you off on the train
whenever you go back to school before we do?"

"Then we'll reserve our sad farewells until the morn," beamed Hippy.

"Sad farewells!" exclaimed Nora scornfully. "I never yet saw you look
sad over saying good-bye to us. You always smile at the last minute as
though you were going to a picnic."

"'Tis only to hide my sorrow, my child," returned Hippy lugubriously.
"Would'st have the whole town look upon my tears and jeer, 'cry baby'?"

"That's a very good excuse," sniffed Nora.

"Not an excuse," corrected Hippy, "but a cloak to hide my real
feelings."

"That will do, Hippopotamus," cut in David decisively. "We don't wish to
hear the whys and wherefores of your feelings. If we stayed to listen to
them we would be here on this very spot when our train leaves to-morrow
morning."

"Wait until we come back for Easter, Hippy, then if you begin the first
day you're home you'll finish before we go back to college," suggested
Grace.

"That's a good idea," declared Hippy joyfully. "I shall remember it, and
look forward to the Easter vacation."

"I shan't come home for Easter, then," decided Nora mercilessly.

"Then I shan't look forward to anything," replied Hippy with such
earnestness that even scornful Nora forgot to retort sharply.

"We all hope to be together again at Easter," said Grace, looking
affectionately from one to the other of the little group. "Remember,
every one, your good resolution about letters."

"We'll talk about that in the morning," laughed Reddy, who abhorred
letter writing.

"You mean you'll forget about it," said Jessica significantly.

"We all have our faults," mourned Hippy. "Now, as for myself--"

"Take him away, Nora," begged David.

"I will," agreed Nora. "Come on, Hippy. Reddy, you and Jessica help me
tear him away from this corner."

"How can you tear me away now? At the precise moment when I had begun to
enjoy myself, too?" reproached Hippy.

"This is only the beginning," was Reddy's threatening answer. "We are
going to leave you stranded on the next corner. Then you can go on
enjoying yourself alone."

"Try it," dared Hippy. "If you do I shall lift up my voice and tell
everyone in this block how unfeeling and hard-hearted some persons are.
I shall mention names in my most stentorian tones and the public will