“DEAR SISTER:  This thing is played out.  I want you to understand that the first of May is the first of May, and you are to get here on it, not leave there that day—­nor the day after.  Bachelors’ Hall is well enough in its way, but not for a lifetime.  You’d better be on hand mighty soon and sudden if you want to keep J.B. to yourself.  J.F’s running you a close second, and she’s liable to pass you in sight of the wire.  Take a brother’s advice.  I don’t suppose either of them has written you a word about the other—­but if they haven’t that’s just as bad a sign as if they’d kept you in full knowledge of the way they get on—­like a basket of chips.  Come home—­come home!

“Your affec. brother,

“MAX.”

CHAPTER XIX

ROUND THE CORNER

Joanna Marshfield, left alone in charge of the house at Strawberry Acres, on the evening of the twenty-ninth of April, stood in the front doorway, looking out into the rain.  The air was mild but like a wet sponge in the feel of it against her cheek.

“I hope to goodness ’twill clear off before the folks come,” said she to herself.  “Here’s Mrs. Burnside coming out most a month sooner than she wanted to and Miss Sally looking forward to seeing things well under way in that old garden she sets such store by.  If May Day would just be nice and sunshiny for ’em all ’twould please me.  Well, now—­who can that be?”

A figure was approaching on the drive-way, carrying an umbrella and a tag, and walking rapidly.  As it neared Joanna could see, in the light thrown out from the hallway and the front windows, that the figure wore skirts of dark blue.  The next instant the umbrella was tilted back at a reckless angle, and a voice called guardedly out of the mist: 

“O Joanna—­is that you?  Hush—­don’t answer out loud!”

“Miss Sally!” Joanna, amazed, crossed the porch to meet her young mistress.  “Who’d ever have thought of seeing you to-night?  Why—­we wasn’t expecting you till day after to-morrow.  And where’s Mr. Rudd?”

“Joanna dear!—­don’t speak so loud.  I want to surprise them,” came back the laughing whisper, and the next minute Sally’s bag and umbrella were on the porch, and she was wringing both her housekeeper’s plump hands in her own.  “How do you do, Joanna!  I’m so glad to see you again.  Uncle Timothy stopped off for a week in Washington, and I couldn’t wait, so came on alone.  Is everybody well?”

“They’re well enough, Miss Sally, but—­you’ll be pretty disappointed.  You see they wasn’t expecting you, so—­”

“Oh, are they away?  They can’t be all away!  Where are they?”

“Well, you see they was getting sort of restless, waiting for the first of May, and Mr. Max took them into town to some show.  It’s too bad.  They’d rather have seen you than any show, I reckon.”

“But they’ll be back to-night?”