dow!" she cried. "It does seem as if I must be
dreaming; it wasn't there before, I'm sure."

"What?" asked Elsie, springing out upon the floor and hurrying after Vi to
the window from which she had witnessed the burning of the schoolhouse.

"There!" said Violet, pointing with her finger, "there! can you see it
too?"

"Oh!" exclaimed Elsie, clasping her hands in a sort of ecstasy of delight,
"oh, aren't papa and mamma good? How did they ever come to think of it!
and how could they get it done while they were away?"

"Grandpa, Uncle Horace and Cal," suggested Vi. "Oh, aren't you glad?
Aren't you glad, Elsie?"

"I should think so! and the boat is ever so pretty. Let's hurry and get
dressed and go down and see it closer."

Rowing and sailing upon the bayou and lakelet had been the children's
greatest pleasure at Viamede, their greatest regret in leaving it. Knowing
this, their ever indulgent parents had prepared a pleasant surprise for
them, causing a small tract of barren land on the Ion estate to be turned
into an artificial lake. It was this, shining in the golden beams of the
morning sun, and a beautiful boat moored to the hither shore, that had
called forth from the lips of the little girls those exclamations of
almost incredulous wonder and delight.

"Yes; I'll ring for Dinah," cried Vi, skipping across the room and putting
out her hand to lay hold of the bell pull.

"Wait, Vi, our prayers first, you know," said Elsie.

"Oh, yes! I do want to thank God for being so good to us; the pretty lake
and boat and all."

"Dear kind parents, safe journey home, too, and oh more things than we can
count," added Elsie, as they knelt down side by side.

This duty performed with no irreverent haste, the maid was summoned and a
careful toilet made in season to afford them time for a walk before mamma
would be ready to see them.

They found their father in the lower veranda talking with the overseer,
while Solon stood waiting with Beppo's bridle in his hand, the horse
pawing the ground with impatience.

Eddie was there, too, caressing Bruno who seemed as glad to be at home
again as any of the rest. Uttering a joyous bark he left his young master
and bounded to meet the little girls.

Mr. Travilla turned at the sound and with a kind fatherly smile, held out
his hands.

"O papa," they cried running to him, "how good of you to have it made for
us!"

"Good-morning, my darlings," he said, giving and receiving caresses,