"She's all right, miss, Lita is; and I can bring her over any minute you
say."

"I shall want her at four o'clock. Thorny will be too tired to drive,
but I must hear from the post-office, rain or shine;" and Miss Celia's
pretty color brightened as she spoke, either from some happy thought or
because she was bashful, for the honest young faces before her plainly
showed their admiration of the white-gowned lady under the honeysuckles.

The appearance of Miranda, the maid, reminded the children of their
errand; and having delivered their offerings, they were about to retire
in some confusion, when Miss Celia said pleasantly, --

"I want to thank you for helping put things in such nice order. I see
signs of busy hands and feet both inside the house and all about the
grounds, and I am very much obliged."

"I raked the beds," said Ben, proudly eying the neat ovals and circles.

"I swept all the paths," added Bab, with a reproachful glance at several
green sprigs fallen from the load of clover on the smooth walk.

"I cleared up the porch," and Betty's clean pinafore rose and fell with
a long sigh, as she surveyed the late summer residence of her exiled
family. Miss Celia guessed the meaning of that sigh, and made haste to
turn it into a smile by asking anxiously, --

"What has become of the playthings? I don't see them anywhere."

"Ma said you wouldn't want our duds round, so we took them all home,"