So it happened that the recitations were over before the arrival of the carriage from Ion bringing Grandma Elsie to join the shoppers, Rosie and Walter to attend to school duties.
It was not quite time to begin work in the school-room, so those who were to remain behind gathered on the veranda to see the shoppers off.
Lulu watched them rather wistfully, and could not quite repress a little sigh of regret that she was not to be of the number, but catching her father’s eye and smile, her face grew bright again.
He had just turned and stepped back into the veranda, after handing the ladies into the carriage, and it was driving away toward the great gates opening on the high-road.
“Are you all sadly disappointed at being left behind?” he asked, addressing the little group collectively.
“I should be, sir, if I had had any expectation of going,” replied Rosie, putting on a hurt and indignant air, “but when mamma was invited the other evening, through the telephone, and nothing said about me, of course I understood that I was not wanted in the party.”
“No, little sister, it was rather that you were wanted in the school-room,” replied the captain with a slightly amused look. “Now let us all go there, and perhaps we may pick up something more valuable than we could have found in the city stores.”
“I think perhaps we may, papa,” Grace said with a bright, pleased look and slipping her hand into his.
“I think so too, papa, and mean to try my very best,” said Lulu, taking possession of his other hand and moving on with him and Grace in the direction of the school-room, Rosie and Walter following.