“All right, Mother dear,” said Mary Frances, kissing her. “If it will make you happier, we’ll stay.”
“I’d eat lunch right over there,” suggested Billy, pointing out a lovely green spot near a spring.
“Trust Billy to think of pleasant ‘eats,’” laughed Mary Frances, as Eleanor and she picked up the lunch baskets, and Billy and his father started off with the mother comfortably seated on the “sedan chair” which they made with their hands.
“We’ll wait for you, Billy,” called Eleanor.
“Better not,” said Billy, “because I may be late—I may stay to dinner at home.”
“We’ll wait a while, any how,” called Mary Frances. “Good-bye!”
“Good-bye!” called everybody.
The girls felt quite lonely and sad as the other three disappeared from sight.
“Oh, dear,” sobbed Mary Frances, “I just pretended to be cheerful because I knew how sorry mother was to disappoint us.”