o happen; something that made
Dorothy Dainty catch her breath, while her dearest friend, Nancy Ferris,
declared that she was wildly happy, except that the whole thing seemed
so like a dream that she could hardly believe it.

"That's just it, Nancy," said Dorothy. "It surely does seem like a
dream."

Yet it was true, and not a dream that Mr. Dainty was to be away from
home for some months, that Mrs. Dainty was to accompany him, and that
Aunt Charlotte would be with them, and that Dorothy and Nancy were to
spend those months at a fine school for girls, and Vera Vane, merry,
mischief-loving Vera, would be eagerly looking for them on the day of
their arrival. One would almost wonder that the thought of being away at
school should appeal to Dorothy and Nancy, but it was the novelty that
charmed them.

It was always delightful at the Stone House, and there had been summer
seasons at shore and country that they had greatly enjoyed, but here
was a new experience, and the "newness" was delightful.

A letter from Vera had just arrived, and Dorothy, out in the garden when
the postman had handed it to her, stood reading it.

"Her letters are just like herself," she whispered.

She looked up. Nancy was calling to her.

"A letter from Vera!" answered Dorothy.

"We shall have to hurry a bit," Nancy said, "James is strapping the two
trunks, the suit-cases are out in the hall, and we must be ready in
twenty minutes."

"All right!" cried Dorothy. "Give me your hand and we'll run to the
house."

She tucked the letter into the front of her blouse, and then promptly
forgot all about it.

The "twenty minutes" sped on wings, and when at last Dorothy and Nancy
sat side by side in the car, their trunks checked, their suit-cases, and
umbrellas on the seat that had been turned over for them, they turned,
each to look into the other's eyes.

Dorothy's lip quivered, but she spoke bravely.

"It is hard, this first trip away from home without mother or Aunt
Charlotte with us," she said. Then quickly she added:

"But it will be fine when we get used to being away from home."

"Oh, yes, it will be _fine_!" Nancy said in a firm voice, but she looked
down, lest her eyes show a suspicious moisture.

As the journey progressed, their spirits rose. After all, it was not
really "good-by," yet.

Mrs. Dainty had postponed the actual "good-by" until a week after
Dorothy and Nancy should have begun the school year at Glenmore.

She knew th