"Yes, I like living here," Julia answered, looking somewhat surprised, perhaps at the question.
"Better—than in Russia, do you think?"
Julia's expression of surprise deepened. "I don't know about Russia," she said.
"You might like Greece better?" hazarded Gay. "Or, perhaps, Dakota?"
Julia's reply to these remarkable questions was not given, for just then a peal of the door bell caused everybody to jump and to look through the open door into the hall. Margery opened the door and there stood Lyman, Robert, Will, Fred, Joe and Herb.
"Excuse me!" cried Gay to astonished Miss Celia. Then with a bound he was in the hall, saying, "Come right in, fellows. I'm mighty glad to see you."
By this time Miss Celia and Miss Linn were ready to welcome the unexpected guests. After the introductions were gone through with, the boys drew a little apart and this gave Gay a chance to say,—
"I invited them yesterday. I don't know how I happened to forget to tell you. I suppose there are ices enough, aren't there?"
"Yes," said agitated Miss Linn.