It was a long time before the boys and girls woke up to the fact that they
were still standing in the center of the road and that they might be ever
so much more comfortable on the porch of the lodge, if any one had had
sense enough to think that far.

Mrs. Irving, who had been keeping herself rather in the background during
the first rapturous greetings, now came in for her share of salutations
and boyish greetings. The young soldiers crowded about her, patting her
hands and her shoulders and telling her how awfully fine she looked and
how glad they were to find her here until the lady actually blushed with
pleasure and begged them to stop their nonsense. In fact, it was she who
finally suggested that they go up to the lodge again.

"I don't see why we didn't think of that before," said Mollie, joyfully
slipping an arm into Frank's and turning him right-about-face. "We are due
to talk all day anyway, so we might as well do it in comfort. Don't forget
the lunch basket, Betty," she called back to her chum.

Betty would have forgotten the basket and left it where it stood just as
she had dropped it at the side of the road--and small wonder if she had--
but as she stooped to pick it up, Will's strong brown hand whipped out in
front of her nose and seized the handle firmly.

"That's the idea," said Grace approvingly, adding with a sisterly pat on
his shoulder: "You run along with Amy and Mrs. Irving. I want to talk to
Betty."

So Will, being a well-trained brother, did as he was told, and Grace drew