Kitty clapped her hands—“And we’re to dance in it after supper! Oh, what fun!”
“It’ll be moonlight coming home, I looked it up in the almanac.” Amanda leaned back with a sigh of satisfaction.
“Amanda Parker, you’re the sensiblest girl!” Kitty declared. “Now I don’t believe Blue Bonnet or I would ever have thought of providing a full moon too. Sarah might’ve.”
Blue Bonnet carried her good news home. “And I may go this time?” she said. “I won’t ask anybody to tea for that night. I’d just love to see a real farm. I suppose it’s what Uncle Joe would call a ‘juvenile ranch.’ Twelve days is going to be an awful long while to wait.”
“A what, my dear?” Aunt Lucinda suggested.
“Very—spelled like—awful,” Blue Bonnet laughed.
“The days are going pretty fast the past weeks,” Grandmother said, thinking sadly that already May was half gone and that June would soon be here; even now, Mr. Ashe was writing of coming East for Blue Bonnet. The summer seemed to stretch ahead, unusually long and quiet; and who knew what the fall would bring forth? Blue Bonnet had not said as much lately about coming back; and once Mr. Ashe had her safely on the ranch, would he be willing to part with her again?
Grandmother roused herself; at least, Blue Bonnet had not gone yet. Looking up, she found Blue Bonnet watching her rather soberly; and presently, when supper was over, the latter ran hastily upstairs to her own room.
“I’ve the best plan ever, Solomon!” she confided to him, as he danced on before her. Five minutes later, she was down again. “I’m going to the office to mail a letter,” she announced from the sitting-room doorway; “I won’t be gone long.”
Those twelve days were not so long in passing. That all of the invitations should have been promptly accepted was only to be expected.