morning, and turned to look at Nancy,
to find that Nancy was looking straight at her. They both laughed.

"I was wondering if you were awake," Nancy said.

"I turned to look at you, Nancy, to see if your eyes were open," Dorothy
said. "I was going to ask you if you knew that Patricia and Arabella
were spending the week at Glenmore."

"I knew it, because when I told Patricia that we were to spend the week
at Vera's home, she looked, for just a second, as if she were provoked
because she had not been invited, too. Then she hurried to say that
she'd rather stay at Glenmore. That Arabella was to stay, too, and that
she thought they would have a finer time than we."

"I wonder how they amused themselves," Dorothy said. "Glenmore would be
so quiet with all the girls away."

"And Miss Fenler would have all the time to watch them, with none of the
other pupils to care for," responded Nancy.

"Dorothy, Nancy! Come down so I can tell you something!" called Vera.

They heard Mrs. Vane say gently:

"Don't hurry them, Vera."

They were half-way down the stairs, however, and in the lower hall they
saw Elf, already up, because she had shared Vera's room, and Vera had
awakened her.

"Rob has told me! Rob has told me!" Vera said, dancing around Dorothy
and Nancy. "Bob has told me, and I couldn't wait to tell you. He's going
to take us out into the country to our summer place, and there we'll go
to a little country circus! Won't that be great? He came home just in
time."

"That will be great fun," said Dorothy, "and after we've seen it, we can
talk it over, all the way back."

"Let's get ready now!" cried Vera.

"Why, Vera! It is only eight o'clock, and the circus begins at two, so
Bob said," Elf remarked, with the thought of calming Vera, but that was
not so easily done.

"But it's a two-hour ride out there. Come up to my room, Elf, and help
me choose a dress," Vera replied, as she caught Elf by the hand and
rushed up the stairway. How they laughed.

The morning sped on wings, and lunch was served early.

Just as they were leaving the house, the postman brought a letter for
Dorothy that had been remailed from Glenmore, and she took it with her
to read, if there was an opportunity.

The ride out from the city over fine roads, and along beautiful avenues,
was delightful, and the jolly little party reached "Vane Villa," earlier
than they had thought possible.

"Dorothy is aching to read her letter," Vera said, "so si