“Hello, girls,” he answered as they came near. “What can we do for you?”
“Oh, Billy, and Father, have you heard the news? Of course you have! Eleanor is to be my sister, and yours, Billy, and she’s to call Father, Father; and Mother, Mother; aren’t you, dear?” said Mary Frances, kissing Eleanor, who smiled shyly.
“Whew!” exclaimed Billy. “Stop for breath, Mary Frances, can’t you? If Nell were as bad as you——”
“Oh, Billy!” chided Eleanor.
“I guess all that Billy means to say,” interposed his father, “is that we’re all glad that such a good little girl is to come live with us.”
“You’ll have to live up to that reputation, young lady,” laughed Billy.
“And now,” Mary Frances produced the packages of wild flower seeds, “we want our brother to help us plant seeds.”
“What kind of seeds are they?” questioned her father.
“Where did you get them?” asked Billy.
“We got them in the woods where we gathered the wild flowers,” answered Mary Frances.