And, with her usual rashness, Dotty stepped upon the platform of the
car, and looked in. What she expected to see she hardly knew,--perhaps
"Aunt Madge's House," in gold letters; but what she really saw was, "No
Smoking;" those two words, and nothing more.

"Well, who wants to smoke? I'm sure _I_ don't," thought Dotty,
disdainfully, and was turning to step off the platform, when Horace
Clifford seized her by the shoulder.

"Where did you come from, you runaway?" said he, gruffly.

Close beside him were Aunt Madge and Prudy; all three were getting out
of the car.

"Thank Heaven, one of them is found," cried Aunt Madge, her face very
pale, her large eyes full of trouble.

Prudy kissed and scolded in the same breath. "O, Dotty Dimple, you'd
better believe we're glad to see you?--but what a naughty girl! A pretty
race you've led Horace, and he just wild about Fly!"

"H'm! what'd he go off for, then, and leave me there, sitting on a piano
stool? S'pose I's going to sit there all day? Didn't I want to go home
as much as the rest of you."

"And how did you get home? I'd like to know that," said Horace, walking
on with great strides, and then coming back again to the "ladies;" for
his anxiety about his little sister would not allow him to behave
calmly.