ttle affair with a blue bow at the side, that
held in place a black wing set at an aggravating angle--down over one
eye and then surveyed herself critically.

"Guess I'm all right," she said, pushing a stray lock into place with
experienced fingers. "Now for my gloves and bag and I'll be ready.
Coming, Mother!" This last to an impatient command from the lower
regions. "Will you ask Dad if he took my Gladstone bag downstairs?"

Mr. Payton replied in person that he had, and Lucile stepped out in the
hall and closed the door softly. She paused at the head of the stairs to
still the tumultuous beating of her heart, for it seemed to her that it
could be heard a mile away. It was all so new and strange and
wonderful--and now that their great dream was to be realized so soon, she
felt more than ever that it must be a dream and nothing more. She
wondered if Jessie and Evelyn were feeling that way, too, and then she
heard the clamor of voices on the porch and knew that they had come.

Then a sort of panic seized her, as she realized that Jack Turnbull would
be with them. She knew he would, for that had been the last thing he had
said to her last night--oh, how very far away it seemed! Half
unconsciously, she straightened her little hat and ran downstairs, just
in time to answer Phil's urgent, "Where's Lucy?" with a merry, "Here,
Phil; bag and baggage!"

Everybody turned to greet the radiant little figure, and Lucile included
them all in her bright, "How's everybody?"

"Rather shaky," Evelyn answered, in an awe-struck voice, and everybody
laughed good-naturedly.

"Well, what do you say if we start?" suggested Mr. Payton. "We are all
here and we might as well have plenty of time. We don't want to have to
hurry."

They all agreed, and so, with a great deal of noise and laughter, the
party started out. Lucile ran back to say a word of good-by to Mary and
Jane, who, good souls, were weeping heartily at the thought of parting
with the family for so long. With difficulty she managed to break away
from them, and on her way back came face to face with--Jack!

"Oh," she stammered, "I thought they--everybody--had gone!"

"So they have, but I came back to get you and--tell you to hurry," he
replied, with a laugh. It was a very frank, nice laugh, Lucile decided,
and she was very glad he had come back, so she answered him gaily and
they started out to overtake the others.

At least, Lucile did, but, after covering a half-block at a