gether, my dear.' While you--you can be
as careless as you wish, and no one thinks anything about it."

"I am not so sure about that." Bee shook her head dubiously. "Aunt Annie
is always taking me to task for my untidiness. And there is much
demanded of me in other ways. If you are expected to be neat and dainty
at all times, I am urged to be industrious."

"'How doth the little busy bee
Improve each shining hour,
And gather honey all the day
From every opening flower!'"

quoted Adele in a sing-song tone. "Isn't that what the girls are always
saying, Bee? I never see you flying about the house helping mamma, or
running errands, or pouring over your books that I don't think of the
'Little busy bee.' Now I can't find time to do anything except to dress,
and to keep myself looking nice."

"Well, a butterfly is not expected to do anything but to fly in the sun,
and be happy," laughed Bee. "And you are like a golden and white
butterfly, Adele. Bees must make honey. They are too homely to do
anything else, while butterflies--"

"Speaking of butterflies," interrupted Adele quickly. "There is one just
about to light on your head."

"What kind is it?" queried Beatrice holding her head very still, and
speaking anxiously. "I hope it isn't a cabbage butterfly. I shouldn't
like to think that even a butterfly would take my head for a cabbage."

"It's yellow and black, Bee. Is that the cabbage butterfly? I don't know
as much about such things as you do."

"The cabbage butterfly is white. Has it settled yet?"

"Yes." Adele watched as a yellow and black Swallow Tail poised gently
upon Bee's head for a moment, and then flew away. "There! it's gone."

"That's a good omen," declared Bee turning toward the gate. "Whenever a
butterfly lights on your head it means favorable news from a distance.
There will be something good in father's letter, I know. Come, Adele!
lets hurry so that we can get it."

Adele straightened her hat a little, and then the two girls set off for
the postoffice.

Chapter III

The Good News

"As cold waters to a thirsty soul, so is good news from a far
country."

--_Proverbs._

"Suppose there shouldn't be a letter," remarked Adele suggestively as
the cousins entered the postoffice. "What would you do?"

"But there will be," answered Bee confidently. "In all the years that he
has been away father has not failed to send me a letter once a month.
Even though it