“How wonderful!” murmured Ruth.
“Can we go?” cried Tess.
“The whole family, including Neale,” said Mr. Howbridge.
“Oo-ee!” gasped Dot, wide-eyed.
Agnes and Neale stared entranced at each other, Agnes, for once, speechless.
“Well, now I have made the offer, think it over, and while you are doing that I’ll give a little attention to Neale’s case,” went on Mr. Howbridge. “Now, young man, suppose we go and find this mule driver who seems to know something of your father.”
“Oh, wait! Don’t go away just yet!” begged Ruth. “Let’s talk about the trip some more! Do you really think we can go?”
“I want you to go. It would be doing me a favor,” said the lawyer. “I must get this boat to Lake Macopic somehow, and I don’t know a better way than to have Martha and her family take it,” and he bowed formally to his ward.
“And did you really mean I may go, too?” asked Neale.
“If you can arrange it, and Miss Ruth agrees.”