Their friendly pilot had said goodnight, and slipped quietly away,
leaving them to themselves for the first meeting.

"Come right in to supper, the old place hasn't had such a merry set for
quite a while, and it does my heart good to have you."

The old lady turned and led the way into a spacious dining room, where
the table was set with the daintiest china and gleaming silver.

The room also seemed filled with the softest most musical notes, that
made the place seem to Beth and Alice like fairyland at once.

"Now tell me about your journey," Aunt Janice began, after seeing to the
comfort of each, because she declared, they must really be almost
famished after the long trip.

Soon they began to talk and the evening advanced in an unaccountable
manner toward bedtime, so delightful were the hours of getting
acquainted. When she felt they must break up, Aunt Janice led the way up
the winding stair.

"Good-night, and happy dreams!" she said, with a smile for all the group,
"take a good rest now, and be ready for some good times tomorrow."

"Oh, Aunt Janice, we're already having a lovely visit, and you are indeed
kind to invite us for a stay in this beautiful, old house."

"The more the merrier, my dear," she beamed on Nora. "All of you in turn,
will make the old place far happier than it has been in a long while, and