Nanny Ainslee. Those who were not
out to greet her telephoned as soon as they heard she was back home
again.

And just as she had gone to help pack, Grandma Wentworth came to help
unpack. There were three trunks besides those Nanny had taken, from
Green Valley. Nanny laughed and chuckled as she explained.

"The joke's on father. We met up with a nice American chap on our
travels. He was so likable that father, who was pretty homesick by
that time and would have loved anything American, fell in love with
him. I can't quite understand why I didn't lose my head too. I came
mighty near it once or twice. But the minute I'd think of that boy
here in Green Valley I'd grow cool and calm. That's all that saved me,
I believe. But father was quite taken with him and being a man he felt
sure that I must be. He was so sure that my maiden days were over that
he dared to be funny. One day he sent up these three brand new trunks
to the hotel. Said I might as well get my trousseau while I was
gadding about this time. Well--I was pretty mad for a minute. But I
concluded that father wasn't the only one in our family who is fond of
a joke. So I just blushed properly and went off shopping. And I tell
you, Grandma, Green Valley will just grow cross-eyed looking at the
pretties that I have in these treasure chests. I showed Dad every
mortal thing I bought and asked his advice and was oh, so shy--and
wondered if he just _could_ let me spend so much; and Dad just laughed
and said he guessed an only daughter could be a bit extravagant, and to
just go ahead. So I smiled again shyly and demurely and went ahead.
And when not so much as a bit of ribbon or a chiffon veil could be
squeezed in anywhere I shut those trunks and sat on them and swung my
feet and bet Dad that I wouldn't marry that boy after all. And he was
so sure that he was rid of me at last and that he could start out on
his next trip blissfully free and alone that he bet me Jim Gray's
Gunshot that I'd be married in six months to the gentleman in question.
Of course it was a disgraceful business, the two of us betting on a
thing like that, but somehow we never thought of that, we were so busy
teasing each other. Well, of course Dad lost. I refused that nice
chap three times in one week. And here I am, heart-free still, with
three trunks of booty and the finest, blackest, and swiftest little
horse in the county--mine. This has certainly been a profitable trip!