She was winking and blinking her little blue eyes to keep the tears in them, and Sophie laughed the tears back from her eyes too.
"There she is!" a great, hearty voice exclaimed in the doorway.
And Bully Bryant, carrying the baby, with Ella beside him, came into the room.
"Bully!" Sophie cried, as she went towards them, "And Ella!"
Ella threw out her arms and clung to Sophie.
"She's been that excited, Sophie," Bully said, "I couldn't hardly get her to wait till this evening to come along."
"Oh, Bully!" Ella protested shyly.
"And the baby?" Sophie cried, taking his son from Bull. "Just fancy you and Ella being married, Bully, and having a baby, and me not knowing a word about it!"
The baby roared lustily, and Bully took him from Sophie as Watty Frost, the Crosses, and Roy O'Mara came through the door.
"Hullo, Watty, Archie, Tom, Roy!" Sophie exclaimed with a little gasp of pleasure and excitement, shaking hands with each one of them as they came to her.