There were three soldiers coming down the road, broad-shouldered, vital
looking fellows who swung along toward the astonished girls as though they
owned the world.

"Betty, oh, Betty!" whispered Grace in a tense voice, grasping Betty's arm
so hard it hurt "It can't be, oh, it can't be the boys!"

But Mollie had broken away from the group and was rushing toward the
soldier lads like the wild little tomboy she was.

"Girls, it's the boys! it's the boys! it's the boys!" she yelled. "They're
all tanned and they're at least ten inches taller, but it's the boys just
the same."

And before any of the other girls knew what she was about she had kissed
each one of them twice and was hanging on the tallest one's arm, who
happened to be Frank, laughing and crying at the same time.

Then the girls seemed to decide that she had had the lads to herself long
enough, and they immediately entered the contest, all laughing at once,
all crying at once, and all talking at once, until it was a wonder the
boys did not lose their heads entirely.

The only one who was not absolutely and completely and deliriously happy
was Betty. For the other three boys were there, but Allen had not come!

As though reading her thought, Will, who was much handsomer and more manly
than when he went away, put an arm about the Little Captain's shoulder big
brother fashion and drew her aside from the rest.