Minnie Gully thought for a few moments before she replied to Miss Anderson's suggestion about her going and finally said:
"How about Travis and the children? Who would care for them while I am away."
"Don't worry about them; the other girls are plenty old enough to manage things for the few days that you would be away; and besides, I will be home, and I can come and assist them."
"Are you not going?" exclaimed Mrs. Gully, in dismay.
"I had not thought of going," answered Miss Anderson.
"Well, if I go you must accompany me," declared Mrs. Gully in a decisive tone.
"We will not discuss our plans until we have heard from Jack and Ida," Miss Anderson replied.
In the meantime Burns Norton and Travis Gully had walked down into the alfalfa field and had stopped and were earnestly discussing the future of the two young people. Not the plans for their approaching marriage, but of the bright prospects of this beautiful country in which they had chosen to make their start in life, and the splendid opportunities it afforded as compared with those that had been given to them when they were their ages.
Jack and his party reached the village in a very short time—as Joe expressed it, "by the time papa could have had the horses hitched to the wagon"—and upon their arrival Jack left them and sought Mr. Palmer, to whom he delivered his father's message. Mr. Dugan, who was on the street at the time and had seen their arrival, was at the car talking to Ida when Jack returned, and after greeting him Jack told him that the party would probably be out to Mr. Gully's the day following, and he was particularly anxious to have him come out, as he had a matter of importance to discuss with him. Dugan was much surprised at this request but promised to come.
Jack purchased a supply of candy and oranges for the noisy youngsters, and they returned home after making a detour of many miles.