o'd you's come home ag'in! We's all
miss yo' like de sunshine, but nobody hain't miss yo' like ole Clo
done."

Mr. March and Jan had gone to Tallahassee the day before, but were to
be back that night.

Mrs. Elmer sent Mark down to the schooner to invite Captain May and the
Aroostook gentlemen to come to the house for breakfast, but, rather to
her relief--for she was not prepared to entertain so many guests--they
declined her invitation, saying they would breakfast on board, and come
to the house to pay their respects later.

How jolly and happy they were at breakfast. How shy Frank was before
Edna, and how many funny things Uncle Christopher did say to make them
laugh! Little by little the "great scheme" was unfolded to the three
members of the mill company present who had not heard of it, though
Uncle Christopher and Mark had intended to keep it a secret until they
could lay it before a regular meeting of the directors. But, beginning
with hints, the whole story was finally told, and Mr. and Mrs. Elmer
and Frank were only too glad to sustain President Mark in his promises.
They said they should not only be proud and happy to have the "best
uncle in the world" become a member of their company, but that new
saw-mill machinery was just what they needed, for they found the
present mill already unable to supply the demands upon it for lumber.

While the others were talking business, Ruth and Edna had gone out on
the front porch to look at the garden, and now Ruth came back to ask
whose house the pretty little new one was that stood just on the edge
of the woods to the right.

"Why, that's ours," said Frank, jumping from the table. "Don't you want
to go and look at it?"

They said of course they did, and Mark said he would go too. They were
perfectly delighted with the new house and everything in it, and
praised it for being so tiny and cosey and comfortable, until Frank
thought he had never felt so happy and proud before. It was no wonder,
for this was the first time he had ever known the pleasure of
extending, to those whom he loved, the hospitality of a pleasant home
of his own.

When they returned to the big house they found the rest of their
friends from the schooner there. Captain May started when he saw Frank
March, and on being introduced to him held his hand so long, and stared
at him so earnestly, as to greatly embarrass the boy.

As Uncle Christopher and the Aroostook gentlemen were anxious to visit
the