at her mother in consternation.

"Yes; of course we shall have to go away from Blue Creek very soon,"
answered her mother cheerfully; for, though at heart she was as sorry as
Allie to leave her pleasant friends in the little camp, she was
unwilling to let her one regret throw a shadow over her husband's
happiness in his promotion.

"Leave Blue Creek, and the Everetts, and Marjorie, and all? Let's not
go," urged Howard. "The old road isn't worth it, papa."

Mr. Burnam laughed.

"I'm sorry you don't think so, Howard," he answered; "but I'm afraid we
must go. St. Paul isn't a bad place to live in; and we should have had
to leave here this spring, anyway, for my present survey won't take me
much longer. I'm to report for duty in two months," he added, turning
to his wife once more. "Will that give you time to get ready?"

"Two weeks would do," she said promptly; "I haven't been your wife all
these years for nothing. I'm sorry to go away from here, of course, for
we've made pleasant friends; but I sha'n't be sorry to have a settled
home. Besides, it's time the children were in some good school, if
they're ever going to college."

"What do you think about it all, Charlie?" asked his uncle. "You haven't
told us, yet."

"I'm about as much mixed up as Auntie is," he replied slowly, while he
gave Allie's hand a consoling pinch, as it lay on the table, toying with
her fork. "I don't want to leave the doctor, and the boys, and all, and
this place has been immense fun; but, as long as I can be with you
people, I don't mind much else, and, if we go to St. Paul, I can stay
with you till I'm ready for college,--that is, if you'll keep me."

"We won't send you off just yet," returned his uncle. "Howard and Allie
would have something to say about that, I fancy. Let me see; this is
May, and I have to be ready by the first of July. We shall have to leave
here the last week in June, so you must make the most of your time till
then."

"Oh, dear!" sighed Allie, as she and the boys were starting for the
Everetts', that afternoon, to tell the great news. "We never stayed so
long in one place before, and I began to hope we'd live here always.
We've had such good times, too, 'specially since Charlie came; and I
don't want to leave all these people."

"'T isn't all of them, though," responded Howard. "There aren't so many
I care about, if we could take the Everetts and Fishers and Dr. Brownlee
along with us."

"And the mountains, and