what Dora and Bee can think of you."

"By George," said Hugh, "I had forgotten their very existence!"

"Well," said Kate, sinking comfortably on a seat, "others have not been
so forgetful. Two young men have arrived and have been helping us to eat
up the picnic. I have forgotten their surnames, but the girls call them
Charlie and Graham. Medical students, I find, who decided not to attend
lectures, but to take a run up here for the day. Clears the brain, they
told me. Heard at the hotel that their friends were at the Falls, so
just ran down in the hope of stumbling across them. Stumbled across them
in the 'Lovers' Nook.'"

"Ah," said Hugh, "and do the little girls seem pleased to see them?"

"Well," said Kate, "all I can say is one of them, Bee to be exact, has a
ring on her finger that she did not start the day with. I discovered
this by the painful efforts she made at lunch to hide it. And I expect
by this time Dora's finger can keep Bee's company. They are plainly
very masterful young men, and I fancy had determined that the mountain
trip should settle their hearts as well as clear their brains."

"Ah," said Hugh, "I am delighted. I'll go up presently and drink their
healths--if there's a bottle of champagne left. Any more news your end
of the world?"

"Yes," said Kate, and calmly helped herself to some jelly, "Effie has
developed whooping cough while you have been away."

"Oh, oh!" said Muffie, jumping with joy, "may we go up and play with
them now?"

"Look here," said Hugh, "I protest. This is too staggering. I may not
know as much of medicine as this Charlie and Graham you speak of, but I
do know a germ's got to be incubated. There simply has not been time."

"Oh, yes," said Kate. "I have dragged it from Florence that they
foregathered purposely some time ago with the laundress's little boy who
has the same complaint, but since it did not seem to have communicated
itself to them they made another trial to-day. Well, Edith will have to
leave the hotel now and take a cottage for them."

The little Lomaxes were dancing with delight. Only Max was a little
quiet. Teddie Gowan did everything a little better than he, Max, could
do; it would be insupportable if Teddie were able soon to brag that he
whooped louder than Max.

"Praps mine will get worser again," he said hopefully.

"See here," said Kate, "I must go back before much longer. Miss Bibby
and I will pack up, Hugh, and you stay quietly at the tree fe