She did not notice that the little boy whom Miss Arbuckle had called Davy stopped at the foot of the stairs and crept softly back to her, she did not know he was anywhere around, till a soft little hand was slipped into hers and a baby voice said plaintively:
“Me loves my Billie, too.”
“You darling!” cried Billie, kneeling down and catching him close to her. “I suppose they will take you away now where you belong, honey, but don’t ever forget your Billie.”
And when the girls went over to her a few minutes later they were surprised to find that her eyes were wet.
“Why, Billie, you’ve been crying!” Laura exclaimed. “And you ought to be as happy as the rest of us.”
“I am,” said Billie, wiping her eyes hard. “Only I was thinking of little Davy.”
“Well, don’t, if it makes you cry and gets your nose all red,” scolded Connie.
“Never mind, honey,” said Vi, putting an arm about her. “We are all sorry to see the kiddies go, of course. But we can see them again some time if we want to.”
“And just think,” added Laura happily, “the boys are coming back next week. And that means Teddy, too,” she added slyly.
“Yes, I’m glad he—they are coming,” stammered Billie, and the others laughed at her confusion. Then suddenly she wiped away the last trace of her tears and her eyes began to shine, making her look like the Billie the girls knew and loved best. “We will have some good times when the boys come, girls. Why,” as if making a surprising discovery, “our fun has just begun!”