eils, while the doctor and his nephew went to
order luncheon.

CHAPTER XIII

MARJORIE SURPRISES HER RELATIVES

"I REALLY don't know when I've been so pleased about anything!"
exclaimed Lulu Bell, a pretty, bright-faced girl of fourteen, as she and
her friends greeted Marjorie in the restaurant. "We were all so glad
when Beverly Randolph told us you were here. Won't Elsie be surprised?
She hadn't the least idea you were coming. Come here and sit between
Winifred and me."

"I don't believe any one can be much more surprised than I am myself,"
said Marjorie, laughing, as she took the proffered seat, and received
the kindly greeting of her other schoolmates. "Wasn't it just heavenly
of the Randolphs to bring me with them?"

"It was nice," Winifred Hamilton agreed heartily. "This is my first
football game, too, and I'm almost too excited to eat. Did you ever see
such a crowd in your life?"

"No, never," said Marjorie, with a glance round the packed restaurant.
"I wonder if they will really have lunch enough for all these people.
Do you suppose Aunt Julia and Elsie are here?"

"No, I don't think so," said Winifred. "We saw Elsie at the dance last
night, and she said they were going to lunch with some friends of her
cousin's. She will be at the game, of course, and perhaps you may see
her there."

"I think it was real mean of Elsie to come without you," chimed in
Gertie Rossiter, who was not noted for tact. "I should have hated to go
off for a good time and leave my cousin at home alone."

"Oh, Elsie couldn't help it," protested Marjorie; "her cousin could only
get two tickets."

"Nonsense!" retorted Gertie indignantly. "He could have gotten an extra
one as well as not if he had known in time; he told me so last night. I
know Percy Ward very well, and he's an awfully nice boy. He felt
dreadfully sorry when he heard about your being left behind. He said it
was just like Elsie."

"Isn't Mrs. Randolph pretty?" broke in Winifred, anxious to change the
subject before Gertie made any more uncomfortable revelations. "She
looks awfully young to be that big boy's mother."

"She is perfectly lovely," declared Marjorie, and Lulu added, by way of
keeping the conversation in safe channels:

"Papa knows her brother-in-law, Dr. Randolph, very well, and he says she
is the bravest woman he has ever met. You've heard about her little
girl, haven't you?"

"Yes," said Marjorie, "it was very sad; I don't see how poor Mrs