of big Pullmans came snorting and puffing into the station; the porters
stepped off the cars but not a single passenger appeared--except one small,
lonely-looking little woman in black who climbed out of the last car.

"She didn't come!" exclaimed Mary Jane in dismay.

"Yes, she did, and here she is!" laughed father as he stepped up to greet
the little lady. "Welcome, Aunt Effie! This is Mary Jane come to meet you!"

Now Mary Jane had never seen her grandmother or any older auntie, at least
she hadn't seen them recently enough to remember them because the Merrills
lived many miles from all their kith and kin. So she was much puzzled at
the little old lady and far too shy to do more than to drop a nice little
courtesy as her mother had taught her to do. Then they all climbed into the
car and drove home.

Aunt Effie was tired from her long journey so she didn't talk much that
evening and Mary Jane went off to bed feeling not one bit acquainted with
the auntie she had thought and talked so much about.

"I don't believe she likes little girls," she thought sadly. "I don't
believe she even _saw_ me because when grown folks see little girls they
always say, 'How old are you, little girl?' and then they say, 'My! my!
you're almost big enough to go to school!' and she didn't say a thing to
me!" And she went to sleep thinking about how fine it would be to have a
really truly "play-with" auntie come to visit.

Aunt Effie hadn't come down to breakfast yet when Mary Jane had finished
hers so she started playing all by herself. "I think I'll play dress up
to-day," she said to her mother as she slipped down from the table.