"Oh, it's just fine!" exclaimed Bernice. "I couldn't think of leaving father, and I'd rather live in the country anyhow—"
"I discovered that, Bernie, girl," said her uncle, seriously. "That's why I had you girls here, so I could see for myself what your tastes and traits really are. I've learned that Bernice prefers her own home and too that she doesn't want to leave her father alone though my plan would have been if I asked Bernice to come here to have her father live here, too. However, I also discovered that Alicia is unhappy in her school life, that she does not care much about returning to her Western home to live with a stepmother, and that she adores New York City! So, I wrote to her father asking his opinion, and he leaves the settlement of the question to Alicia, herself."
"And I settle it! Yes! oh, I certainly DO!" and the girl gave her kind uncle another big embrace.
"Isn't it funny you should have been saying to-day that perhaps you might live in New York?" said Bernice.
"Yes," replied Alicia, and her face changed, "but I didn't mean THIS!"
Dolly spoke impulsively. In fact, it seemed as if she couldn't keep still.
"Suppose you tell your uncle just what you DID mean," she said, looking straight at Alicia with an unmistakably meaning gaze.
Alicia turned on her with a sudden expression of anger.
"You DID read that note in my coat pocket!" she cried, "you DID read it, Dolly Fayre! and you pretended you were too honourable to do such a thing!"
"Why, Alicia, I did not! You take that back!"