"Oh, I'm sure they will," said Rob confidently, as he offered his arm to Fred, and they turned towards the house. As they came under the windows, he called out loudly,—
"Cousin Bess, come on down here! Fred and I were carried off down the river, and I want to tell you how we got home again."
"In just a minute, Rob," answered Bessie's voice from above.
Rob turned to his new friend with a smile of pleased anticipation.
"I thought I'd give her a surprise party," he explained, "and not tell her you were here."
Now it happened that the day was so warm that the sisters, feeling safe from all interruption, were lounging in Alice's room, having a long afternoon rest before dressing for dinner. At Rob's summons, Bess hastily twisted up her hair, put on a long wrapper of some creamy, clinging wool, and thrust her feet into an ancient pair of slippers, whose soles and uppers were rapidly parting company. Thus attired, she ran lightly down the stairs, and out on the piazza, exclaiming,—
"What have you boys been"—
And then stopped aghast, as she caught sight of Mr. Muir, who rose to meet her.
"There! I told you she'd be astonished," commented Rob triumphantly. "Only think, cousin Bess, he found us floating off down the river, and he knows cousin Alice and all."
A week later, Rob was waked early one morning by a sound of splashing water. For a moment he lay in that pleasant interval between sleeping and waking, dreamily listening to the morning twittering of the birds, and feeling vaguely that something very pleasant was in prospect. But an inquisitive sunbeam would shine directly into his eyes, and, as he rolled over, he opened them to find that Fred was not in bed.