retorted mischievously. "If only you had come here last week! You could
have made yourself invaluable. However, you are in time to meet Elfreda,
at least."

"Yes, Tom," declared his aunt, "you can't afford to miss knowing Elfreda.
She is the counterpart of Hippy, and has kept Grace and I in a perpetual
state of smiles during the past two weeks."

Tom helped his aunt out of the automobile and the three walked slowly
toward the veranda where Elfreda stood waiting. A moment later she and Tom
were shaking hands and declaring that, having heard so much of each other
from Grace, they were really old acquaintances.

"When are you going home?" Tom asked, as half an hour later, the party
paused in the living-room after a tour of inspection which included the
four floors.

"That is the main subject under discussion at present," smiled Grace. "It
must be very soon. If not to-morrow, then the day after. Here we are
fairly into August and I have spent a very short time with Father and
Mother. Then, too, the Phi Sigma Tau has a great many mysterious rites to
observe before two of its members enter into that state known as
matrimony. Also we expect Eleanor Savelli soon. She and her father and
aunt are going to be at 'Heartease' for two or three months. Mabel Allison
and her mother are coming east, and the Southards are coming home with
Anne when their motion-picture work in California is done. I could go on
naming plenty of other reasons, but those are the really important ones."

"I should say they were important ones," agreed Tom. "It sounds as though
there were to be some lively times in Oakdale. I'm going to try to make my