Mr. Harley, we’ll tell you here, did find his wife and two sons in Oklahoma, and as they did not want to return to Apple Tree Island where they had been so unhappy, he settled down in Cordova with them and helped the uncle to farm.  Uncle Matthew Dexter and Aunt Sue were both growing old and they were very glad to have a younger and stronger man to lend them a hand.  As for the two boys and Mrs. Harley, they declared that they never would give them up, so it was fortunate that Mr. Harley liked to farm.  Dick and Herbert grew into fine young lads.  So we may leave the Harley family with a comfortable mind.

Fourth of July dawned hot and sunny on Apple Tree Island.  Captain Jenks came over in his motor-boat and brought a huge chunk of ice for the freezing of the ice-cream.  He had been invited to stay to dinner and to see the fireworks in the evening, and when, after dinner, it grew so hot that Father Blossom declared the sun would certainly set fire to the sparklers without any punk, the jolly captain loaded “all hands” on board The Sarah and took them off for a sail around the island.

There was plenty of breeze then, you may be sure, and the children had great fun lighting their sparklers and hanging them over the rail to burn.  They had to keep away from the engine with their “fizzers,” as the captain would call them, because he said he wouldn’t trust even guaranteed fireworks to be harmless around a gasoline engine, but they had plenty of excitement without blowing up the good ship Sarah.

“Why, we’re not going home—­we’re going to Greenpier!” cried Meg, when they had sailed around the island and were headed for the opposite shore.

Mother and Father Blossom looked very mysterious, but said nothing, and Captain Jenks answered all questions by ordering them not to talk to “the man at the wheel.”

When The Sarah bumped into the Greenpier wharf, the four little Blossoms made a simultaneous discovery.

“Jud!” they shrieked in unison.  “Jud Apgar!  Oh, Juddy!”

It was Jud, Jud grinning happily with a traveling bag in one hand and a box in the other.

“Go easy now,” he warned the children as they descended upon him in a body.  “Miss Polly sent your mother some fresh eggs—­you don’t want to smash ’em, do you?”

Mother Blossom rescued the egg box, and the children escorted Jud on deck and introduced him to Captain Jenks.

“Guess you surprised some folks,” said the captain, shaking Jud’s hand as though he were very glad to see him.  “Some folks couldn’t see why we should come to Greenpier on a Wednesday afternoon and a holiday at that.”

Mother and Father Blossom and Aunt Polly had planned the surprise, it seemed.  Jud could never leave Brookside Farm for long at one time in the Summer, there was so much work to be done, but Aunt Polly assured him that he could easily be spared for a few days’ visit to Apple Tree Island.  She had planned it with Father and Mother Blossom through letters and they had kept the secret successfully.