; and after he had told so much, he
seemed not to care about talking. He felt captain of a little company,
and such a brave soldier that he would not even say he felt sorry
Prudy was gone.

Grace talked a great deal about Susy, and asked her mamma if she might
not invite her to go out West some time.

Mrs. Clifford said she should be very glad, indeed, to have a visit
from both the children, and who knew but it might happen so? for Mr.
Parlin, Susy's father, often took journeys out West on business.

This idea struck Grace very pleasantly, and she had a strong hope of
the visit in a minute. In two minutes she had a firm belief in it; and
the last we see of Grace and Horace in this book, they are sitting on
the piazza, eagerly talking about the next winter, when they shall
both go to the cars to meet uncle Edward and the children.

"They'll be there my birthday--what'll you bet?" said Horace.

"I shall wear my tippet when we go to the depot, and have a new hood,"
said Grace. "I don't know what my dress will be, though."

"I'll make a bow-arrow, and a gun, and a steamboat for Prudy."

"And I'll give Susy my large doll, and make a blue dress for it, with
flowing sleeves. She shall put all her things into my cabinet."

"What'll we have to eat? Pecans, and 'simmons, and raisins, and figs."

"O, we shall have plenty to eat, Horace, we always do. We'll give 'em
canned peaches with cream. Susy likes cream as well as a cat."

"I'd like to see Prudy eat a 'simmon--a green one, I mean," cried
Horace, laughing aloud. "Seems like I can see her mouth puckering up
now."

Susy and Prudy, all this while, were riding home in the cars, under
the care of the conductor.

"O," sighed Susy, "I wish we were going backwards, just the other way.
Grandma is going to let Grace boil some candy to-night, and put
oilnuts in it."

"I guess they'll want _me_ to help 'em pull it," said Prudy.

"There, now, we've got to Brunswick," murmured Susy. "I don't like to
get so far away from the folks at grandma's. Don't it seem real
lonesome?"

"No, indeed," replied Prudy. "I'm glad we're goin' home to see mother
and the rest of 'em. What do you s'pose the baby'll say?"

But their speech was cut short by some large pieces of sponge cake,
which the smiling conductor brought to them wrapped in a newspaper.

Susy and Prudy reached home safely, and there is nothing more to be
said about them at present.

I think I will copy the letter which Pr