“Oh, so you drove over for me; did you?  That’s very nice,” said Aunt Lu with a smile.  “My!  How large Bunny has grown!” she went on, as she bent over and kissed him, having already done that to Sue, when she wiped away the little girl’s tears.

“I’ll go and get the cart,” Bunker said.

“Yes, and I think I’ll take Sue inside the station, and see if I can get a towel to clean off the worst of the mud stains,” said Miss Baker.

“She can sit away back in the pony cart, and I’ll sit in front of her, so nobody will see the dirt on her dress,” offered Bunny.

“That’s very kind of you,” his aunt remarked.  “We’ll be all right soon.  Bunker, will you see after my trunk, please?” she asked as she gave him the brass check.  “It can be sent up later,” she went on, “as I guess there is hardly room for it in the pony cart.”

“No’m, not scarcely,” answered Bunker with a smile that showed his big, white teeth.  “I’ll have the expressman bring it up, or I can come down for it later,” and he went away to the baggage room.

The ticket agent in the station gave Aunt Lu a towel, with which she took some of the dirt from Sue’s dress.  The little girl was smiling now.

“I like you, Aunt Lu,” she said.  “We’re awful glad you came, and you’ll play with us; won’t you?”

“Oh, yes, of course, dear.  Well, what is it, Bunny?” she went on, as she saw the little boy looking closely at her hands.  “Do you see something?” Aunt Lu asked.

“It—­it’s that,” and Bunny pointed to the shining ring.

Aunt Lu’s eyes sparkled, almost as brightly as the glittering stone in the ring, and her cheeks became red.

“I know what it is—­it’s a diamond!” exclaimed Sue.  “Isn’t it, Aunt Lu?”

“Yes, dear.”

“Did you find it?” asked Bunny.  “Or did you dig it out of a gold mine?”

“Diamonds don’t come from gold mines; they make ’em out of glass!” said Sue.

“Yes they do dig ’em; don’t they, Aunt Lu?” insisted Bunny.

“Yes, dear, they do dig them.”

“Where did you dig it?” Sue wanted to know.  Perhaps she hoped she could dig one for herself.

“I did not dig it,” their aunt said.  “It was given me by a very dear friend.  I love it very much,” and she held up the diamond ring, so that it sparkled more than ever in the sun.

“Well, Sue,” she went on, as she finished scrubbing away at the muddy dress.  “I think that is the best I can do.  It will need washing to make it clean again.  But here comes Bunker with the pony cart, so we will start for your house.  Your mother will be wondering what has become of us.”

Aunt Lu had been on a visit to the Brown’s several times before, and as she sat in the pony cart with the children, with Bunker driving, she bowed to several persons whom she knew and who knew her.  There was Mr. Sam Gordon, who kept the grocery, Jacob Reinberg, who sold drygoods and notions, and little Mrs. Redden, who kept a candy and toy store.