“No more secrets in this family,” declared Rose.
“Glad to hear it. Now I can know what’s going to happen to me,” responded Fred.
“Of course you can. Father has to go to Salem next week and he is going to take you with him.”
“Nothing will happen in driving to Salem in the morning and back at night,” said Frederick, a little scornfully.
“Wait and see!” and Rose nodded so hopefully that Frederick wondered to himself if she had really told him all she knew about his father’s plans.
While the children were in the carriage-house they heard the clatter of horses’ hoofs on the driveway.
“Look!” exclaimed Frederick. “There’s a man and a woman riding into our yard. Why, the woman is riding that black colt that brought you home.”
But Rose and Anne had not waited for the end of Frederick’s exclamation. Looking out they had seen the pretty black colt, and on its back a slight figure in a brown dress sitting very straight indeed, and wearing a hat of plaited straw with a brown ribbon—a hat exactly like the one Anne was so proud of.
There was a chorus of “Aunt Anne Rose! Aunt Anne Rose!” in which Millicent and Frederick joined, as the children ran out to welcome the unexpected visitors.
“I am here, too!” said Mr. Pierce laughingly.