“Well, to begin at the beginning, when we arrived, Evelyn took me to the office of the nicest woman—next to Mother—whom I have ever met. Madame Deriby is tall and stately with soft, silvery hair, a beautiful face and the kindest, gentlest manner imaginable. I knew at once that I was going to adore her, and oh, girls, Evelyn is so nice, I am sure that you will all love her.
“The room that we are to have together is the prettiest. It is decorated in yellow and looks as though it were flooded with sunlight, even when it is cloudy. There are two small beds and Evelyn has her things on one side of the room and I have mine on the other.
“I haven’t met any of the other pupils as yet, but there are forty of all ages, Evelyn tells me.
“The ‘get-ready-for-dinner’ bell has just rung, so I will say good-bye for now. I’ll write to you often, but oh, girls, do beg and beseech your nice mothers to let you come to Linden Hall boarding-school soon.
“Your newest Sunnysider,
“Carol Lorens.”
“How I do wish that we could go!” Doris Drexel sighed. “It must be a wonderful place, so high on a hill.”
“I couldn’t go if the rest of you did,” Betty Burd declared, “and I’d be so lonely with all of you away.”
Adele slipped an arm about the little girl as she said merrily, “But Bettykins, we aren’t any of us going. Mother wishes me to finish out this term with Miss Donovan. There’s the last bell. Forward! March!”
Little did the girls dream of the unexpected news that they were about to hear.