get back. Tommie is
in the boat, and he too, must get back to the landing. Kitty, are you
all right? and is everything all right?"

"Pretty much," said Kitty with a little wink in Royal's direction. "I'm
glad you came and would--you--like to see our lodgings?"

"I'm afraid we can't wait this time," said Grace thinking it would be
like Brother Benny to raise a still alarm that Grace had gone to that
Looney Land. "But we can come back again soon."

"You are going to take me with you," gleefully announced the boy making
a start toward the rocky arch.

"Oh, Roy dear, you wouldn't leave Kitty," protested the little
caretaker. "You know we are both going together--"

"But these are my fairies," and tears welled into the saucer blue eyes.
"I can't--can't let them go away!" Two monster tears rolled right into
the quivering lips.

Cleo and Grace felt very helpless in this sort of predicament. It was
one thing to dive off piers, and fish boys or girls out of the depths,
but how to bank a flood of baby tears?

Kitty knew. She took Royal in her arms and attempted to hoist him up a
tree.

"Peter Pan," she said severely. "See that cloud floating by! That's our
airship, and very, very soon I promise we shall go to mother's land--in
our ship of love. You see, these are the messenger fairies (she did not
know what truth she spoke,) and they will soon return," she finished
grandly.

Grace and Cleo felt impelled to be fairies, and each raised fluttering
arms, saved from comic effect by the love they betrayed in their smiling
assent.

"Yes, we surely will come back very soon," declared Grace. "And Little
Peter Pan, you may watch us from your tree. We have a power boat--and a
row boat--you can tell us by a signal. When we come we will wave a blue
flag--a light blue one, like a piece of the sky," finished Grace.

"All right," said the child, a little dolefully. "But I sat in the tree
so often in my nighty, and Kitty-dear built steps so I could go up and
down--" He paused, and bravely brushed away another big tear, with a
motion that indicated dislike for feeble symbols.

"Well hurry," said Cleo, seizing the chance of escape. "Good-bye little
Royal-Boy-Blue-Peter Pan," she said merrily. "And good-bye, Kitty. Send
a letter by Lovey dove, or by Bentley, and we will answer promptly."

Kitty understood, and as they turned for a last look before stepping
into Tommie's boat, they saw her holding Royal, as high on her shoulder
as s