protested Betty. "Come, have you girls no
good news to cheer her up with?" she asked, looking at Mollie and Amy.

"I'm afraid I haven't--unless it's to tell the latest funny thing Dodo
and Paul did," spoke Mollie. "And I detest telling of children's
pranks."

"How about you, Amy? Can't you cheer up Grace?"

"Well, I did mean to tell you when I came in; but seeing Grace so upset
I almost forgot it," said Amy.

"Forgot what?" asked Betty with a smile. "Girls, I am almost sure it's
something good, Amy has such a quiet way with her that she always has
unexpected pleasure for us."

"I don't know whether this will be pleasure or not," went on Amy with a
blush, "but Uncle Stonington (I'm going to call him that, though he is
no relation)" she interjected, "Uncle Stonington has bought an orange
grove in Florida, and we can have all the oranges we want. If that's
good news," she finished.

"It is--fine!" declared Mollie.

"And we were talking about it to-day," resumed the quiet girl, "and he
said perhaps he would take Aunty down there to stay until spring, as her
health is not very good. And I'll probably go----"

"Oh, Amy!"

It was a protesting chorus.

"And I mentioned you girls, and Uncle Stonington said I could bring you
down--if you'd come--all of you--to a Florida orange grove."

"Amy Stonington--I mean Blackford--I'm just going to hug you!" cried
Betty. "Go! Of course we'll go!"

"After we find Will," put in Grace in a low voice.

CHAPTER III

WILL'S LETTER

Amy's announcement--unexpected as it was--had two effects. It dispelled,
for a time, the gloom that had come with the news of Will Ford's
disappearance, and it gave the girls something to talk about, to
speculate over and to plan for.

"I must confess," admitted Betty, "that our strenuous life this Fall and
Summer, living in the outdoors, has unfitted us for the hum-drum sort of
existence that used to satisfy us. We seem to want some excitement all
the while now."

"That's so," agreed Mollie. "But outdoor life is a little too chilling
these days."

There had been a series of storms and cold weather in Deepdale, ever
since the girls had returned from the logging camp.

"But it must be perfectly lovely in Florida now," spoke Grace, who found
that by joining in the conversation she did not think so much about her
missing brother. "The weather there in our winter season is delightful.
Where is Mr. Stonington's orange grove, Amy--near Palm