best friend, too! Oh, well, I suppose you can get used to anything if
you try hard enough."

"Oh, Grace, you're a dear when you look resigned like that," said Betty,
dancing over to her friend and hugging her ecstatically. "If you weren't
so pretty, I wouldn't dare talk about stopping clocks," she added, and
peace was restored, and soon both hurried down to breakfast.

"Oh, there they are now," cried Betty, hastily swallowing the last of
her cocoa. "I knew they would be here before we were half ready. Oh,
Gracy, dear, hurry, will you!"

"I am all ready," Grace answered. "Suppose you go out and speak to them
while I get the luggage. I'll bring down your hat and coat, too, if you
want me to."

"You _are_ a dear," said Betty, for the second time this morning.
"Goodness, they are making enough noise with their old horns. Anybody
would think there were ten automobiles instead of two," and while she
ran out to greet the newcomers, Grace hurried--yes, actually
_hurried_--up the stairs to get the small bags they were to take with
them for immediate use, in case the trunks, which had been sent on
before, did not arrive in time.

Betty found the others all radiant. Roy was at the wheel in Mollie's
car--she had invited him to act as chauffeur and he had gleefully
accepted--with Mollie herself beside him and Will and Amy in the
tonneau.

The others--Mrs. Irving, their young and jolly chaperon, and the four
girls and boys--were to make the journey in Frank's big car, with Frank,
of course, at the wheel.

"Hello, Betty!" Will shouted. "You are looking as sweet and fresh as a
daisy! Jump in! Where's that runaway sister of mine? I hope you
succeeded in getting her up in time."

"I did--after considerable persuasion," laughed Betty. "I came out to
tell you we just have to get our outside things on and we shall be
ready. I can see Grace beckoning now--just a minute," and she ran toward
the house.

"Can't we carry the luggage--and the chocolates?" said Frank and Allen
together.

"If you insist," Betty flung the answer over her shoulder as she joined
Grace.

The boys had tumbled out of the automobile and were racing up the drive
as if their lives depended on their reaching the porch at the same
second. The girls adjusted their pretty panamas before the wide mirror
while the boys picked up the bags and waited.

"Is my hat on right, Allen, or should it be tilted a little more over
the left eye?" mimicked Frank, as they watc