's Ed; and Betty must be the little girl that's 'bout as big
as me."

Just then, when Mary Jane was wishing and wishing and wishing that she
would come, Alice came to the door of the balcony and looked out.

"Sh-h-h!" whispered Mary Jane, tensely, "they're here, both of 'em, and
there's more of 'em, too!"

Alice seemed to understand exactly what Mary Jane meant, even though her
sentence was decidedly mixed up, and she stepped out onto the balcony.

Frances heard the door shut and looked up. For a long minute the two girls
looked at each other, then Frances, the girl with the auburn hair and the
friendly smile, nodded shyly.

Little Betty didn't take long deciding what she would do. She called
eagerly, "Moving in?"

"Yes, we are," laughed Alice, waving her hand toward the piles of boxes
and rubbish stacked up on the back stairs of the building.

Ed, who had started back into the house, looked around and, seeing his
sisters had made a small start toward conversation, called a question on
his own responsibility.

"Going to use 'em all?" he asked, pointing to the boxes.

"Dear me, I guess not," said Alice. "I don't see how we could!"

"Then will you give me a box?" he asked, running back in the yard till he
stood right under the balcony. "We're going to get some rabbits, John and
I are, and we want a box for their home."

"Come on over and see which one you want," suggested Alice, "and I'll ask
father."

Ed and his brother John lost no time climbing over the fence and
inspecting the boxes. By the time Alice brought Mr. Merrill, he had picked
out just the one he wanted and was very grateful when it was given him for
his own.

"Don't you want to come over and see 'em make the rabbit house?" suggested
Frances shyly. "Oh, maybe you're busy."

"I'm sure we can come," replied Alice, "because mother just told me she
wished we'd get some fresh air." So Alice and Mary Jane followed the
others to the back yard and helped hold nails and boards and make the
rabbit house. When it was nearly finished the children's mother, who
proved to be very charming Mrs. Holden, came out with a plate of cookies
and a welcome for the two little strangers.

"Thank you for the cookies," said Mary Jane politely, "but we're not
strange--that is, not any more, we aren't, we know each other--all of us
do!"

And so it really seemed to all the children. They were friends from the
first day and making the rabbit house was just the beginning