yn was rather indignant to hear her remark repeated
several times.

"I'm not going to say anything more," she thought, "they always laugh
so."

She sat very quiet, indeed, until by and by the lights and the pink,
blue, and white gowns danced together in a rainbow, and then she knew
nothing at all about the rest of it, nor that the minister himself
carried her up-stairs and put her in Nancy's care.

But the first thing of which she thought in the morning, was the
refreshments, in which she had been so vitally interested the day
before; so she came very soberly down-stairs to a late breakfast.

"Well, chicken," said grandmother, "how did you like the reception?"

"Not very much," said Ethelwyn. "I'm so ashamed to think I didn't get
any ice cream--"

"There's some saved for you; and I think I see your mother and Beth
coming in the gate, I was so sorry they couldn't come last night."

"I do believe they _are_ coming," said Ethelwyn, standing on tiptoes,
"and, yes, see, they have Bobby and Nan with them, to help take me
home!"

There was a wild triple shriek from the surrey, followed by three small
forms climbing rapidly down. They were proudly escorted by Ethelwyn to
see Johnny Bear, the chickens, Peter, Hannah, and Nancy, all before
mother was fairly in the house and the surrey in the barn.

They ate the reception refreshments with such zeal that grandmother
said, "Well there! I was wondering what we would do with all the things
that were left, but I needn't have worried."

"No, the mothers are the only ones that need worry,--over the after
results," said Mrs. Ray burn, laughing.

They started home in the afternoon, all standing on the surrey steps and
seats to wave a farewell to dear Grandmother Van Stark as long as they
could see her.

Of course they played games going home, and this time Ethelwyn had
really made up one.

"I'll say the first and last letter of something in the surrey or that
we can see, and then whoever guesses it can give two letters." So she
gave "m----r," and Beth guessed mother at once; then Beth gave "h----s,"
and Bobby disgraced himself by guessing horse, but he was warm, because
it really was harness, and Nan guessed it. Then she gave "f----s," and
that took them a long time, because it didn't sound at all like
flowers, but Bobby finally guessed it, and then he gave them "g----s,"
which mother guessed as girls.

"You tell us a story, motherdy," said Ethelwyn, cuddling up close. "