just love it. Lulu wants me to come and visit her, but of
course I can't leave mother."

"New York isn't so bad in summer," said Betty cheerfully. "We were here
last year. It's nice in the park and on the Riverside, but of course the
real country must be much nicer."

"I think any place is nice where mother is," said Winifred, with simple
conviction. "Oh, Betty, there's the door bell, and it's mother's ring."

Betty sprang to her feet, and darted out into the hall. Mrs. Randall
took a few quick steps towards the door, but then her strength failed
her, and, with a low cry, she sank on her knees on the floor beside
Jack's sofa, trembling from head to foot, and covering her face with her
hands.

Mrs. Hamilton came straight into the room. She passed the two little
girls without a word, but there was a look on her sweet face that
somehow kept them both silent, eager as they were for news. For one
second she paused beside the sofa, and then dropping on her own knees,
took the trembling, swaying figure right into her kind arms.

"Oh, my dear, my dear," she sobbed, the happy tears streaming down her
cheeks, "I don't know how to tell you, but it is all as we wished. The
operation is over; it was a great success, the doctors say,
and--and--don't tremble so, dear--there is nothing to grieve over, but,
oh, so much to make you glad. I have just come from the hospital, and
Dr. Bell has sent you this message. 'Tell Mrs. Randall,' he said, and
there were tears in his eyes, 'tell Mrs. Randall that everything is
going on splendidly,' and--and--oh, think of it, my dear,--'that her
little boy will walk.'"

CHAPTER X

A LETTER AND A SURPRISE

"Here's a letter for you, Winnie," said Mr. Hamilton, coming into the
dining room, just as his wife and little daughter were sitting down to
breakfast one warm morning in the beginning of July.

"It's from Lulu," exclaimed Winifred joyfully, glancing at the
handwriting. "Oh, I'm so glad! I haven't had a letter from her since she
went away."

"This is a good fat one, at any rate," said Mr. Hamilton, smiling, and
Mrs. Hamilton added:

"Read it to us, dear."

So Winifred opened her letter and began:

"Navesink, N.J., July 6th.

"Dearest Winifred:

"I meant to write to you ever so long ago, but I have been so busy that
I couldn't find the time. This is a lovely place, and we all like it
very much. The ocean is right in front of the house, and in the big
storm last week the wav