fast walk,
that was almost a run, Jack protested.

"What's your awful hurry?" he queried, reproachfully. "You have an hour
to catch the train, so why rush?"

Lucile opened her eyes wide in feigned astonishment.

"Why, I'm only following instructions," she teased. "You told me to
hurry, and so I'm trying to."

"With great success," he added, with a smile of understanding. "Just the
same, you know I didn't mean it that way. I had to see you and I needed
some excuse. I won't have a chance to see you for a long, long time, you
know."

Lucile looked up quickly, this time in real surprise.

"But I thought you were going back to New York to-day, anyway," she
said.

"So I am, but there isn't the width of the Atlantic between New York and
Burleigh," he answered meaningly.

Just then Evelyn turned around and, making a megaphone of her hand,
shouted, "Better hurry up; we'll miss the train."

"Plenty of time," Jack threw back, pleasantly. "Got half an hour yet."

"Aw, there's something wrong with your watch," Phil retorted. "Next time
you buy an Ingersoll, see that you get your money's worth."

"Thanks!" drawled Jack, but Lucile looked anxious.

"Perhaps we would better catch up with the rest of them," she suggested.
"The front ranks have quite a start on us, and we don't want to keep them
waiting."

"Oh, all right," agreed Jack cheerfully. "Give me your hand and we'll do
a hundred-yard dash in record time."

Lucile took the proffered hand and away they went like two happy
children, reaching the rest of the party a moment later, out of breath
but triumphant.

"Didn't I tell you we'd break the record?" laughed Jack, forgetting for
the moment to release her hand. "You're some little runner, too," he
added, admiringly.

"Speak for yourself," she threw back gaily. "That was a good run, though.
I guess we won't miss the train now."

"Not an unmixed blessing," Jack grumbled, at which they all laughed with
such infectious mirth that more than one passer-by turned to smile after
them.

They arrived at the station in plenty of time, after all, for it was
fully fifteen minutes before a distant toot announced the coming of the
train that was to carry them to New York. It had been Mr. Payton's
intention in the first place to take passage on one of the smaller
steamers, but the girls had been so evidently disappointed, although, to
do them credit, they had tried their very best not to let him see it,
that he had change