t her, because they would
know nothing of Sunnyside. And now, quite suddenly, a new and wonderful
possibility unfolded--to have Gyp at home with mother and Little-Dad,
sleeping in the tiny room under the gable, climbing the trails with her,
working in the garden, playing with Bigboy, sharing all the precious
joys of Kettle, meant a link; after that, there could be no real
separation.

And she wanted Isobel, too. Between the two girls had sprung a wonderful
understanding. Isobel was grateful that Jerry had not humiliated her by
mentioning the debate, or the many other little meannesses of which she
had been guilty; Jerry was glad that Isobel had not raked them up--it
was so much nicer to just know that Isobel liked her now. Isobel was a
very different girl since her accident--perhaps Uncle Johnny, alone,
knew why. She had decided very suddenly that she _did_ want to go to
college. The week before she had "squeezed through" the college entrance
exams--luck she did not deserve, she had declared with surprising
frankness. And after college she planned to study interior decorating.

Everyone wondered why they had not thought before of such wonderful
summer plans. Mrs. Westley would go with Tibby to Cousin Marcia's at
Ocean Point in Maine--"quiet enough there"; Graham was going to a boys'
camp in Vermont, and Isobel and Gyp could divide their time between
Sunnyside and Cobble.

"We are not consulting Mrs. Travis," laughed Mrs. Westley.

"Oh, she'd _love_ them to be there," cried Jerry with conviction.

"And anyway, if she frowns, we'll move on to Wayside, and _we_ know the
trail in between, don't we, Jerry?"

"Say, Jerry," Graham thought it the psychological moment to spring a
request he had been entertaining in his heart for some time. "Will you
let me take Pepper to camp? Lots of the boys have dogs but none of them
are as smart as Pep."

Jerry could not answer for a moment. In her picture of her homegoing,
Pepper had had his part; but--it would be another link----

"Of course you may take him. He'll love--being with you." Long ago she
had reconciled herself to sharing Pepper's devotion with Graham.

"Oh, I think that's the wonderfulest plan ever made," exclaimed Gyp
rapturously--Gyp, who with her mother had visited some of the most
fashionable summer and winter resorts. "I want to sleep up on--where is
it, Jerry--and see the sunrise. How will we _ever_ exist until school's
over!"

"Examinations will help us do t