excited this very minute that I'm all thrilly inside."

"If you are," said Bess, eyeing her judicially, "nobody would ever know
it. That's just the trouble with you," she added plaintively, "you are
always hiding things and having secrets from me when you know very well
that no one ought ever to have a secret from her chum."

Nan put an arm about the waist of the girl and laughed.

"You can't quarrel with me, especially this morning, Bess," she said,
adding soothingly: "Besides, I haven't had a secret from you in--oh,
ever so long. Not since Beautiful Beulah."

For Bess had been very much put out indeed about Nan's secret possession
of Beautiful Beulah, the big doll that had formerly helped Nan over many
difficulties.

"I know," said Bess, in answer to Nan's declaration. "But that is just
the reason why I expect you to start something. You have been 'too good
to be true.'"

"Well, you are a silly," said Nan absently, as her eyes wandered down
the double line of shining rails to the spot where they disappeared in
the distance. "I wonder if that mean old train is going to be late after
all."

"No, there it is! There it is, Nan!" cried Bess, suddenly dancing wildly
up and down the platform. "Oh, tell the folks to hurry. Mother has my
hat box. I never, never could go to Palm Beach without that hat." And
she ran back toward the older folks, waving her bag at them frantically
while Nan looked after her laughingly.

"I wonder what Bess would do," she thought, without the slightest trace
of conceit, "if she didn't have me to anchor her down all the time."

The train steamed into the station just as Momsey and Papa Sherwood and
Mrs. Harley, with the excited Elizabeth in the lead, rushed upon the
platform.

Nan was very much surprised to find that though she had become used to
rather frequent partings with Momsey and Papa Sherwood, this one was not
one bit easier than the others had been.

She hugged Papa Sherwood, kissed Momsey a dozen times, in spite of the
fact that Bess was tugging at her elbow, and finally stumbled some way
up the steps and into the car.

"Goodness! Anybody would think you were going away to stay forever,"
gasped Bess, as she tried to disengage herself from a tangle of bag and
hat box and umbrella. "For goodness' sake, look out, Nan. We are
moving." This, because Nan stuck her head far out of the window to get a
last look at the dear folks on the platform.

"I know we're moving," sighed Nan,