As usual, Marian was loath to let Patty go, and clung to her until the last minute.
Frank had already established Grandma in the train, and the conductor was about to ring the bell when, at the last minute, Patty jumped on.
The train was almost starting, but the conductor assisted Patty, and she seated herself beside Grandma, quite out of breath from her hasty entrance.
“I just hated to leave Marian,” she said, “for she did seem so sorry to have me go. But I promised to come back here to spend Thanksgiving, or else to have her spend it with me in New York, and that seemed to help matters a little.”
“You’d better have her plan to come to see you,” said Grandma, “for I think your father expects that Nan will be in New York about that time.”
“All right,” said Patty; “I don’t care as long as Marian and I are together. But for goodness’ sake, Grandma, will you look at that!”
Now “that” was nothing more nor less than Brownie, the dog, sitting in the aisle, blinking at them and contentedly wagging his tail.
“How did he get there?” said Grandma, with a bewildered, helpless air.
“I don’t know,” said Patty, laughing, “but there he is, and now the question is, what shall we do with him?”
Brownie seemed intelligently interested in this question, and continued to wag his tail and blink at Patty with an expression on his funny old dog face that was very like a wink.