there were more things to do
and places to go than could possibly be squeezed into that brief space
of time. Arline Thayer, who was a joyous, irrepressible spirit,
announced with conviction that Oakdale was even nicer than New York. She
and Nora became sworn friends and the joint guardians of Hippy, who
declared that he never would have believed there were two such
relentless tyrants in the world, if he had not seen them face to face.

Mrs. Gray, who had been in Florida during the Christmas holidays, had
returned in time to welcome her adopted children home. She was
especially delighted to see Anne and would scarcely allow the quiet
little girl out of her sight. She had been greatly disappointed because
Anne had refused to accept from her the money for her college education,
but secretly exulted in Anne's independence and smiled to herself when
she thought of a certain clause in her will that had amply provided for
her adopted daughter's future welfare.

Altogether it was a vacation long to be remembered, and the four
originals separated with the glad thought that the next time they met
it would be months instead of weeks before their little company would
again set their faces in opposite directions.

The night after their return to Overton, Grace, after having made a
conscientious effort to study, threw down her history in despair. "I
know a great deal more about the history of Oakdale than I do about the
history of Rome," she sighed.

"I wish I had never heard of trigonometry," returned Anne, shutting her
book with a snap. "I can't think of anything except the good time we've
had. Home has completely upset my student mind." She rose, laid down her
book and walked listlessly toward the window. It had been an unusually
warm day for early spring and the night air had that suspicion of
dampness in it that betokens rain. "It will rain before morning," she
declared. "There isn't a star in sight and the moon has gone behind a
cloud."

Grace joined Anne at the window. The two girls stood peering out into
the darkness of the spring night. "I feel as though I'd like to go out
and walk miles and miles to-night," declared Grace.

"So do I," agreed Anne. Then glancing back at the clock, she remarked,
"It's twenty minutes past ten. Too late for us to go now. We can go
to-morrow night, can't we?"

Grace nodded. "We'll get our work done early, or, better still, we can
go walking early in the evening and study when we come ba