d running
to her mother, threw her arms about her neck.

"O Randy, child, this is the first day of real happiness since ye started
fer Boston. Not but what we've gotten on pretty well, but ye left a space,
so ter speak, a space that nothin' could fill. Well, ye're here now, an'
we'll find it easy to be cheerful."

"And _you're_ glad to see me, too, Aunt Prudence?" asked Randy, wondering
if so dignified a person would like a kiss.

"Glad!" was the answer, "that's no name fer it," and she fervently kissed
Randy's cheek. "I must say, ef ye'd stayed away a week longer yer ma an'
me would been 'bout ready ter give up housekeepin'. I tell ye, Randy, we
shall all feel nigh on ter giddy, now ye've arrived."

The remarkable sight of Aunt Prudence kissing Randy made a great
impression upon Prue.

"If I goed to Boston, Aunt Prudence, would you kiss _me_ when I comed
back?" she asked.

"Why bless ye, Prue, I'll kiss ye now, 'thout yer havin' ter go away," and
she did, much to Prue's delight.

Arrived at the house, Prue exhibited her doll dressed in all her finery,
Tabby decorated with a gay ribbon, and was about to drag Randy out to the
barn that she might see the new railroad which ran through the pasture
lot, when Mrs. Weston suggested that the railroad would be there in the
morning and that as Randy had been riding all day it would be far better
to wait until the next day to see it.

So little Prue sat beside Randy and listened to all which she had to tell
with the greatest interest.

"Oh, I wish Johnny Buffum was here to hear all 'bout Boston," sighed Prue,
"then he'd know what a big girl my Randy is," and the little girl wondered
why they laughed.

At tea she led Randy to the table and exclaimed,

"There, didn't I _say_ the cake had pink frosting onto it?" and Randy
agreed that it was indeed pink and that it looked very tempting.

Mrs. Weston and Aunt Prudence had arranged a fine little spread, composed
of Randy's favorite dishes and as she looked at the dear faces around the
table, she knew that she could not be happier at the grandest feast,
though it were given in her honor in palatial halls.

* * * * *

"Randy is here, Randy is here!" It seemed as if each person as soon as he
learned the news, repeated it to his neighbor, and that neighbor repeated
it to the next person whom he chanced to meet on the road, and soon the
entire village knew that Randy was once more at home.