ry from
which came a confused murmur of many voices, speaking all at once, with
now and then a burst of merry laughter.

"Leave your hat here, Allen," said Mollie, and Betty threw him a merry
glance over her shoulder.

"Hello, everybody," she called a moment later, as she flung aside the
portieres and stood framed in the doorway. "Mollie tells us we are the
last and----"

"Well, so you are. We thought you and Allen had mistaken the date," said
Frank. "Accidentally on purpose," he added slyly.

"Not a chance in the world, Frank," said Allen, who had come into the
room in time to hear the last remark. "I might be afflicted with loss of
memory; but, Betty--never!" They all laughed with enjoyment--all but
Betty who threw him a reproachful glance which he refused to catch.

"Well, now we are here, let's have the news," said Roy, who was always
impatient to get to the heart of things. "Come on, Mollie--out with it."

Nothing loath, Mollie settled herself with an important air and began
her tale.

"Well, you see----" she began, when Will interrupted.

"No, we don't. What?" he asked innocently.

"Now I won't try to tell it at all if you are going to begin that," said
Mollie with asperity. And Grace added:

"Do let Mollie tell it her own way, Will, and if you interrupt again, we
will get the boys to throw you out. You will do it, won't you, boys?"

"Sure!" they shouted with one accord, and Will retired meekly into a
corner.

"I'll begin all over again," said Mollie. "You all know, with the
exception of Amy and Allen, and they soon will, that I have been
expecting to hear from my aunt and uncle every day. They took rather a
long time to make up their minds, but now everything is settled. They
are really going to Europe, and we girls are going to have the use of
their bungalow, 'The Shadows,' for the summer. Or at least for the month
and a half that is left."

"Splendid, Mollie! Where is the bungalow?" inquired Betty, leaning
forward eagerly. "We ought to have a wonderful time."

"Well, I hope we shall," Mollie continued. "The bungalow is on an island
called Pine Island in Lake Tarracusio. They say it is a beautiful place,
and it is only about a day's journey in an auto. We could make it
easily."

"All this is very fine, but where do we come in?" Allen inquired. "There
isn't room in this wonderful bungalow for us, is there?"

"Of course not!" said Mollie scornfully. "And if there were, do you
think we would ha