radition"--?

Some one was whistling "All the Blue Bonnets are over the Border." She
looked up as Alec came towards her.

"Do I intrude upon a solemn hour?" he asked.

"The solemn hour has ticked its last second. I've said good-bye to
everything and everybody,--except Texas and Massachusetts. Come with
me to see those infants."

Hardly infants any longer, however. Long-tailed, with erect silky ears
and coats that stood out shaggily from their fattening sides, the
coyotes were fast growing into big, clumsy dogs.

"You'll look after them, won't you, Alec?" Blue Bonnet asked
anxiously.

"That I will," he promised.

"And you'll write me often about--everything? And see that Uncle Cliff
doesn't smoke too much, and that Uncle Joe takes his rheumatism
medicine--"

"Trust me!" Alec knew better than to smile at such a moment. "And in
turn, Blue Bonnet, you'll give an eye to Grandfather, won't you?"

They shook hands on it solemnly, and went in to breakfast.

Kitty, her face restored to its usual milky-whiteness, and looking
very pretty in her jaunty travelling-suit, met them at the door.
Peering over her shoulder stood Ruth--a sunburned Ruth with bright
eyes and a rounder curve to her cheek than it had worn two weeks
before.

"We were afraid you had decided to run off and hide at the last
minute," said Kitty, slipping her arm around Blue Bonnet as if
determined not to risk losing her a second time.

"I was only--saying good-bye," said Blue Bonnet soberly.

"Blue Bonnet is like more than one famous prima donna," said Alec,
"she has made half a dozen 'positively last' farewell tours!"

They were off at last. Distributed equally between the buckboard and
one of the farm-wagons, the We are Sevens, Grandmother Clyde, General
Trent and Uncle Joe went ahead. Blue Bonnet, Alec, and Uncle Cliff
followed on horseback.

As they neared the bridge Blue Bonnet drew rein, and, turning in the
saddle, glanced back for a last look at the weather-stained old
ranch-house. The cowboys and most of the Mexicans, who had gathered to
say good-bye to the Senorita and her "amigos" from Massachusetts, were
already scattering about the work of the day. But in the doorway the
faithful Benita still stood, waving her apron.

Blue Bonnet's eyes filled.

"Good-bye, old house, good-bye, Benita," she said, and then added
softly: "_Hasta la vista!_"

=THE END.=

Selections from
The Page Company's
Books for Young People