ouse."

"Oh, that was fine!" cried Polly Pepper, with kindling eyes, and turning
her flushed face with pride on Miss Anstice. When Miss Salisbury saw
that, a happy smile spread over her face, and she beamed on Polly.

"And then, you know the rest; for of course, when I came to myself, the
doctor had patched me up. And once within my father's arms, with mother
holding my hand--why, I was forgiven."

Miss Salisbury paused, and glanced off over the young heads, not
trusting herself to speak.

"And how did they know at the school where you were?" Fanny broke in
impulsively.

"Father telegraphed Mrs. Ferguson; and luckily for me, she and her party
were delayed by the storm in returning to the school, so the message was
handed to her as she left the railroad station. Otherwise, my absence
would have plunged her in terrible distress."

"Oh, well, it all came out rightly after all." Louisa Frink dropped her
handkerchief in her lap, and gave a little laugh.

"_Came out rightly!_" repeated Miss Salisbury sternly, and turning such
a glance on Louisa that she wilted at once. "Yes, if you can forget that
for days the doctor was working to keep me from brain fever; that it
took much of my father's hard-earned savings to pay him; that it kept me
from school, and lost me the marks I had almost gained; that, worst of
all, it added lines of care and distress to the faces of my parents; and
that my sister who saved me, barely escaped a long fit of sickness from
her exposure."

"Don't, sister, don't," begged Miss Anstice.

"_Came out rightly_? Girls, nothing can ever come out rightly, unless
the steps leading up to the end are right."

"Ma'am,"--Mr. Kimball suddenly appeared above the fringe of girls
surrounding Miss Salisbury,--"there's a storm brewin'; it looks as if
'twas comin' to stay. I'm all hitched up, 'n' I give ye my 'pinion that
we'd better be movin'."

With that, everybody hopped up, for Mr. Kimball's "'pinion" was law in
such a case. The picnic party was hastily packed into the barges,--Polly
carrying the little green botany case with the ferns for Phronsie's
garden carefully on her lap,--and with many backward glances for the
dear Glen, off they went, as fast as the horses could swing along.

XV THE BROKEN VASE

But drive as they might, Mr. Kimball and his assistants, they couldn't
beat that storm that was brewing. It came up rather slowly, to be sure,
at first, but very persistently. Evidently the old