“How in the world?” exclaimed Mrs. Merrill happily as she and the girls settled themselves cosily before the big, cheerful fire.
“Telegraphing, my dear,” said Mr. Merrill; “you may not know it, but this country has a fairly complete telegraph system and once in a while I think to use it!” He rubbed his hands by the blaze and smiled gayly over the success of his surprise.
“You certainly picked out the right thing to do, Dad,” said Alice as Amanda wheeled the little tea wagon before the fire and Alice spied a piled up plate full of hot cinnamon toast; “it’s worth the fun of going away, just to come home—it really is!”
The first thing after they were warmed and fed, Mary Jane got out her picture folders and spread them on the floor in front of the fire—folder after folder till the rug was almost covered.
“Now,” she said when she had them all in place where she could see them, “I’m going to see if I saw every place I intended to.”
“See if you got the worth of your money, you mean, do you?” laughed her father; “well you just go ahead and see. But if any two girls ever saw more of Florida and were away from home only fourteen days and fifteen nights—I’d like to see them! I’d like to know how they did it!”
And indeed, when Mary Jane and Alice began counting the pictures they had seen they realized more than even before, how very much they had seen. For there were not more than a dozen pictures out of that whole collection that did not look familiar. Think of that!
The next morning Mary Jane buttoned on her leggings, put on her storm rubbers and heavy coat and cap and muff and started off through the snow to school. On her arm in her own little bag she carried all the picture post cards she had brought for her friends in kindergarten. At Doris’s gate she met her friends and Mr. Dana who was taking Doris to school on her sled.
“Pile on, Mary Jane,” he said cordially; “always room for one more on a sled you know. Hold tight, now! Here we go!” And away they dashed down the street and to the school.
When Miss Lynn saw the fine cards Mary Jane had brought for the pupils she at once suggested that they stop regular work for part of the morning and make a party in honor of Mary Jane’s return.