Everybody jumped up. “Where were you children?” inquired Hilary from Lilian’s embrace. “We thought you had missed a train or something.”
“No, Phil brought us in the auto, rather the chauffeur did, but Philip was the official care-taker. Here he is, with Cathalina.”
Hilary was wondering how Lilian happened to come in the Van Buskirk car, but there was no time to ask at this juncture.
Meanwhile Philip was saying to Cathalina, as they approached, “My, Kitten, must I be introduced to all that bunch?”
“O, yes, and remember ’em, Phil, if you can. You know Hilary, of course, and that is June, her little sister, and Evelyn is that graceful little thing farthest away. You’ll know her by her Southern speech, and Helen, too,—with her rather especial drawl. I don’t know the rest myself. There’s Patty, too, just joining them.”
Evelyn’s eyes and lashes, drooping or raised, went into effect immediately upon introduction, and Philip’s courtesy responded to her grown-up ways; but as there were too many girls for one young gentleman to entertain, he remained by Lilian most of the time, holding her extra coat and hand-bag with entire content. At train time, however, Philip helped as many of the girls as possible, settled them in the train, shook hands all around, kissed Cathalina and swung himself off in good time. Many girlish eyes followed him, and their last view was of a tall, good-looking, dark-eyed boy, touching his hat and looking chiefly at—Lilian.
“I never saw Phil so taken with a girl,” whispered Cathalina to Hilary at the first chance. “We were motoring through and stopped all night at Rochester, when whom should we meet at the hotel but Lilian and Judge North. The Judge had business at Rochester and was going to put Lilian on the train for Buffalo. We could have gone to Charlotte, of course, to wait for the boat from Toronto, but both Lilian and I wanted the whole trip with you girls. We had a fine visit yesterday as we drove,—I was so glad for Mother to know our Lilian better, and Lilian was at her brightest and sweetest and prettiest.”
“And that is rather attractive,” inserted Hilary.
“You can see that the Judge just loves her to pieces.”
No sooner was the party off the train at Niagara than a capable official appeared. Arrangements were at once made with him to transport the party by auto to the station from which they would next depart and to take them upon the sight-seeing tour as soon as their baggage was safely checked.