It was Grace who espied the glittering circlet first and she uttered a slight shriek. Then she pointed it out to her sister.
"A diamond ring—an engagement ring!" she cried.
"Oh, how lovely!" exclaimed Nellie.
"Ladies and gentlemen, the future Mrs. Dick Rover!" said Dick, just a bit awkwardly, while Dora blushed the color of a peony.
"Oh, Dora!" cried Grace and Nellie, in chorus, and then each kissed her.
"I thought I smelt a mouse," murmured Sam.
"Hail to the bride!" cried Tom. "Say, Dick, isn't it proper to salute your future sister-in-law?" he went on, with a broad grin.
"I don't know—better ask her," replied Dick, good-naturedly, and then Tom kissed Dora, and Sam did the same thing. After that Tom declared he ought to kiss the "bride-to-be's cousins," and started in, and Sam followed.
"Here, you kids break away!" cried Dick finally. "I thought you said we had to get back before dark."
"'Kids' indeed!" snorted Tom. "My, how old we've gotten since we're engaged!" And then he grinned more than ever. "But never mind," he went on to Nellie, in a whisper. "Just you wait and see the diamond ring I get you one of these days." And this remark made Nellie blush as deeply as had Dora. Sam said something, too, to Grace about a ring, at which she laughed merrily and slapped his face. But when the boys were in the biplane and ready to sail away, and he held up a finger with a ring on it and looked at her questioningly—and longingly—she gave a quick little nod of her curly head.