"Easy, girl, or you'll choke on all those questions," laughed Colonel
Baxter. "I just arrived an hour ago, and I would have let you know if
I'd been sure that I could come. And then at the end, I decided to
surprise you. Are you glad?"
Bet laughed happily, her blue eyes glowing now with a very different light. There was snap and joy in them as she held tightly to her father's hand.
In her joy at seeing her father she had not paid any attention to what the other girls were doing. Now as she heard the sound of happy voices she turned and saw the boys, Phil and Bob and Paul.
"Oh, you boys! Why we didn't expect you until tomorrow afternoon," she said, extending her hand to Phil Gordon.
"If you don't want to see us tonight, perhaps we could go back and sit in the station at Benito."
"Don't be silly, Bob Evans. You're just the same as ever." Bet laughed as she always did at Bob.
"What did you expect me to do in three weeks time? Get grey headed and grow a beard?"
Bob had helped Joy to her feet when they heard the girls arriving and he now stood supporting his sister while he laughed and teased.
"Isn't it good to see them?" cried Joy.
"Does that include me, too?" inquired Colonel Baxter.