“I, for one, anticipate meeting this friend of Miss Dayton’s, and as she asked us to call on an afternoon of this week, I think we might go to-morrow,” said Nina.

Accordingly on the following day, the three girls sat in the reception room, each wondering just what Miss Randy Weston would be like.

“Do you fancy that she is light, or dark?  Let’s guess, girls,” whispered Polly, but at that moment Miss Dayton entered with Randy’s hand in hers.  With a bright smile of welcome, Randy extended her hand to each girl as she was presented, and as Nina gave the hand a cordial pressure, Randy said,

“I am so glad that you have come, because you see I have left all my friends at home,” there was a little tremor in her voice, “and to find new friends here, will make it less lonely when I enter the school next week.”

“You have gained three friends to-day,” said Nina, “and when we meet at school you will soon know all the other girls.”

“We could call for you on the first day,” ventured Peggy, completely won by Randy’s sweet face and frank manner.

“Oh, if you would,” said Randy, with such evident delight, that Polly more than half wished that she had made the suggestion.

How they talked and chattered that afternoon, and when the three girls took leave of Randy and Helen and walked briskly down the avenue, Nina, with twinkling eyes, said to Polly,

“I think she is one of the sweetest girls that I know, and Polly, did she seem very countrified to you?”

“Now, Nina,” Polly answered in a crestfallen tone,

“Who knew that she was a regular beauty, and who for a moment supposed that she would be dressed like a city girl?”

“I said that if Miss Helen Dayton called her charming, I had no doubt about it,” said Nina, “and I am willing to say that she is even more pleasing than I had imagined.”

“It is her pretty, truthful manner that makes me like her,” said Peggy, “and I mean to be her friend while she is here.”

Miss Dayton had seen at once that Randy was making a pleasant impression upon the girls, and wondered if Randy was equally pleased with them.

“Well, Randy,” she said after the girls had left, and together they stood before the fire-place.

“Oh, I liked them,” was Randy’s quick reply.  “They were so friendly.  I like Nina Irwin best, but they were all so pleasant that perhaps I should not like one better than the others.”

“Nina has always been a favorite with me,” said Helen, “and as you really liked the others I do not see that it matters that of the three Nina is the favored one.

“They were evidently pleased with you, so you see you already have three friends for school and two for home, for Aunt Marcia and I claim your dearest love.”

“Oh, I love you best,” said Randy, “I care for you next to the dear ones at home.”

CHAPTER VII