“Now tell us all about it,” Marjorie cried, stepping about upon the rug and on the carpet.  “And where is Linnet?  And when did you get in?  And where’s Will?  And why didn’t Linnet come with you?”

“Because I didn’t want to be overshadowed; I wanted a welcome all my own.  And Linnet is at home under her mother’s sheltering wing—­as I ought to be under my mother’s, instead of being here under yours.  Will is on board the Linnet, another place where I ought to be this minute; and we arrived day before yesterday in New York, where we expect to load for Liverpool, I took the captain’s wife home, and then got away from Mother West on the plea that I must see my own mother as soon as time and tide permitted; but to my consternation I found every train stopped at the foot of Maple Street, so I had to stop, instead of going through as I wanted to.”

“That is a pity,” said Marjorie; “but we’ll send you off to your mother to-morrow.  Now begin at the beginning and tell me everything that you and Linnet didn’t write about.”

“But, first—­a moment, Marjorie.  Has our traveller had his supper?” interposed Miss Prudence.

“Yes, thank you, I had supper, a very early one, with Linnet and Mother West; Father West had gone to mill, and didn’t we turn the house upside down when he came into the kitchen and found us.  Mother West kept wiping her eyes and Linnet put her arms around her father’s neck and really cried!  She said she knew she wasn’t behaving ‘marriedly,’ but she was so glad she couldn’t help it.”

“Dear old Linnet,” ejaculated Marjorie.  “When is she coming to see us?”

“As soon as Mother West and Mother Rheid let her!  I imagine the scene at Captain Rheid’s tomorrow!  Linnet is ‘wild,’ as you girls say, to see her house, and I don’t know as she can tear herself away from that kitchen and new tinware, and she’s fairly longing for washday to come that she may hang her new clothes on her new clothes line.”

“Oh, I wish I could go and help her!” cried Marjorie.  “Miss Prudence, that little house does almost make me want to go to housekeeping!  Just think of getting dinner with all her new things, and setting the table with those pretty white dishes.”

“Now, Marjorie, I’ve caught you,” laughed Morris.  “That is a concession from the girl that cared only for school books.”

“I do care for school books, but that house is the temptation.”

“I suppose another one wouldn’t be.”

“There isn’t another one like that—­outside of a book.”

“Oh, if you find such things, in books, I won’t veto the books; but, Miss Prudence, I’m dreadfully afraid of our Marjorie losing herself in a Blue Stocking.”

“She never will, don’t fear!” reassured Miss Prudence.  “She coaxes me to let her sew for Prue, and I found her in the kitchen making cake last Saturday afternoon.”