s to "call each other up right after dinner," the Bradley
family found itself alone.

"Well," said Mr. Bradley, beaming proudly upon his children, who seemed
to him to have grown at least twice as large during their absence, and
three times as handsome, "you thought you _would_ come back to your poor
old country relations, did you? Your mother and I," he glanced fondly at
his wife, "thought perhaps you had forgotten us by this time."

"We weren't very much worried, though," said Mrs. Bradley, looking so
lovely in her happiness that Billie had to snuggle close to her to make
sure she was real. For Mrs. Bradley was really a very beautiful woman, as
well as a very sweet one, and Billie was growing more like her every day.

"And there's the darling old house," breathed Billie happily, "looking
just the same as it did when I left it. Mother dear, and, Dad----" here
she reached a hand out to her father----"I think I'm the very happiest
girl in all the world."

For a day or two after that it seemed the best thing in the world just to
be at home again. But the third day the girls began to feel a little bit
restless. They were longing to be off to Lighthouse Island with Connie
Danvers. But they had not heard from Connie yet, and until they did there
was nothing to be done but get things in shape and wait.

"Suppose she should change her mind," remarked Laura dolefully on the
noon of the third day.

"Change her mind!" burst out Vi. She turned enquiringly to Billie. "Do
you think Connie would do anything like that?" she demanded.

"Certainly not," was Billie's quick reply. "Connie isn't that kind of a
girl. Besides all the arrangements have been made. It is more than likely
she has been so busy with a number of details that she has simply
forgotten to write or telegraph."

"Well, anyway, this waiting is getting on my nerves," declared Laura.

"Let's do something to make the time pass more quickly," suggested
Billie. "What do you say to going down town for a bit of shopping?"

"That suits me," answered Vi. "And we might have some ice-cream sodas
while we are down there."

This suited all of them, and soon they were on the way to the shops where
they spent the best part of the afternoon.

Then one day, over a week later, when they had begun to think that Connie
had forgotten about them, a telegram came from her, saying that she was
starting for North Bend the day after the next and she would be in on the
six o'clock tra