“It may never have occurred to you, Billy, that keeping a boarding-house isn’t quite the ideal occupation for a young gentlewoman!” Susan said coldly.

“Oh, darn everything!” Billy said, under his breath.  Susan eyed him questioningly, but he did not look at her again, or explain the exclamation.

The always warm and welcoming Carrolls surrounded them joyfully, Susan was kissed by everybody, and Billy had a motherly kiss from Mrs. Carroll in the unusual excitement of the occasion.

For there was great news.  Susan had it from all of them at once; found herself with her arms linked about the radiant Josephine while she said incredulously: 

“Oh, you’re not!  Oh, Jo, I’m so glad!  Who is it—­and tell me all about it—­and where’s his picture—–­”

In wild confusion they all straggled out to the lawn, and Susan sat down with Betsey at her feet, Anna sitting on one arm of her low chair, and Josephine kneeling, with her hands still in Susan’s.

He was Mr. Stewart Frothingham, and Josephine and his mother and sister had gone up to Yale for his graduation, and “it” had been instantaneous, “we knew that very day,” said Josephine, with a lovely awe in her eyes, “but we didn’t say anything to Mrs. Frothingham or Ethel until later.”  They had all gone yachting together, and to Bar Harbor, and then Stewart had gone into his uncle’s New York office, “we shall have to live in New York,” Josephine said, radiantly, “but one of the girls or Mother will always be there!”

“Jo says it’s the peachiest house you ever saw!” Betsey contributed.

“Oh, Sue—­right down at the end of Fifth Avenue—­but you don’t know where that is, do you?  Anyway, it’s wonderful—–­”

It was all wonderful, everybody beamed over it.  Josephine already wore her ring, but no announcement was to be made until after a trip she would make with the Frothinghams to Yellowstone Park in September.  Then the gallant and fortunate and handsome Stewart would come to California, and the wedding would be in October.

“And you girls will all fall in love with him!” prophesied Josephine.

“Fall?” echoed Susan studying photographs.  “I head the waiting list!  You grab-all!  He’s simply perfection—­rich and stunning, and an old friend—­and a yacht and a motor—–­”

“And a fine, hard-working fellow, Sue,” added Josephine’s mother.

“I begin to feel old and unmarried,” mourned Susan.  “What did you say, William dear?” she added, suddenly turning to Billy, with a honeyed smile.

They all shouted.  But an hour or two later, in the kitchen, Mrs. Carroll suddenly asked her of her friendship with Peter Coleman.

“Oh, we’ve not seen each other for months, Aunt Jo!” Susan said cheerfully.  “I don’t even know where he is!  I think he lives at the club since the crash.”

“There was a crash?”