ed, laughing breathlessly, "the great fact is that we are going to
have another adventure in the open. The very thought of it makes me want
to roll in the buttercups."

"Goodness, there's one open in the back meadow," suggested Mollie. "You
can roll in it, if you want to."

"Well, I don't--I want a whole patch of them!" cried Betty, while the
rest laughed at Mollie's picture. "My, I feel younger already."

"Well of course you need to," drawled Grace, adding with a fond glance
at the glowing Little Captain: "You look so terribly like a dried-up
ancient, dear."

"But when shall we start?" cried Mollie, coming back to the
all-absorbing topic at hand. "Goodness, I'd like to throw a few clothes
in a suitcase and start right away--quick--this minute--I can't wait!"

"Do you think it's catching?" asked Grace, anxiously.

"From the way I feel I should say it was already caught," twinkled
Betty, adding eagerly: "How long do you suppose we will have to wait,
Grace? Did your Aunt Mary say when we could have the cottage?"

"As soon as we want it," replied Grace, looking surprised. "Didn't I
tell you?"

"No you didn't," mimicked Mollie, adding as she sprang to her feet
impatiently: "I'd like to know what we're waiting for anyway! Why don't
we get started?"

"Now I know she's crazy," cried Betty, seizing her chum and pulling her
down upon the arm of her chair. "Why we haven't decided anything yet."

"What is there to decide?" cried Mollie, trying to be patient and
looking like a martyr.

"Why we don't even know how we're going to get there yet," explained
Betty soothingly.

"In the automobile, of course," cried Mollie, jumping up again.

"Oh, can we?" cried Grace, forgetting to be languid and bouncing eagerly
in the swing. "Mollie, that would be wonderful."

"Why of course we'll go in the car!" it was Mollie's turn to look
surprised. "What did you think we were going to do--walk?"

"There are railroads, you know," Grace reminded her, relapsing into
irony. "And as to walking--well, we did that too before you got your
car, Mollie."

"Yes, and got sore feet," added Mollie.

"Well, now that we've decided not to go on the railroad or walk," Amy
broke in unexpectedly, "I really don't see what we are waiting for."

"My goodness, there's another lunatic," cried Grace, looking
despairingly at the Little Captain, whose eyes twinkled merrily. "What
do you expect us to do--go just as we are?"

"No, but we can throw some t