ing back from Alaska?"

"Perhaps I shall know in a month," said Mr. Leicester; "but you
understand that it will not be like a journey through civilized
countries, and there are likely to be many hindrances and delays.
Beside, you must count upon our finding everything enormously
interesting. I shall try hard not to forget how interesting a waiting
young somebody called Betty is!"

Betty made an attempt to smile, but she began to feel very dismal. "The
aunts will ask me, you know, papa dear," she said. "I am sure that Aunt
Barbara felt a little grumpy about your not coming now."

"Dear Aunt Barbara!" said Mr. Leicester seriously; "I wish that I could
have managed it, but I will stay long enough to make up, when I get back
from the North."

"Your birthday is the first of September; thirty-nine this year, you
poor old thing! Oh if we could only have the day in Tideshead, it would
be such fun!" Betty looked more cheerful again with this hope taking
possession of her mind.

"You are always insisting upon my having a new birthday!" said Mr.
Leicester, determined upon being cheerful too. "You will soon be calling
me your grandfather. I mean to expect a gold-headed cane for my present
this year. Now we must be getting ready for the station, dear child. I
am sure that we shall miss each other, but I will do things for you and
you will do things for me, won't you, Betsey?" and he kissed her
affectionately, while Betty clung fast to him with both arms tight round
his neck. Somehow she never had felt so badly at saying good-by.

"And you will be very good to the old aunts? Remember how fond they have
always been of your dear mamma and of me, and how ready they are to give
you all their love. I think you can grow to be a very great comfort to
them and a new pleasure. They must really need you to play with."

There was a loud knock at the door; the porter came in and carried away
a high-heaped armful from Betty's room. "Carriage is ready at the door,
sir," he said. "Plenty of time, sir;" and then went hurrying away again
to summon somebody else. Betty's eyes were full of tears when she came
out of her room and met papa, who was just looking at his watch in the
little parlor.

"Say 'God bless you, Betty,'" she managed to ask.

"God bless you, Betty, my dear Betty!" Mr. Leicester said gravely. "God
bless you, dear, and make you a blessing."

"Papa dear, I wasn't really crying. You know that you're coming back
within three m