"Children, I must; think of poor Miss Lyons."
"If you put on such long faces when she is only going sixty miles away for a few weeks, what would you do if she should go away to live?" asked Cousin Helen.
"But she never will do that, for she has promised," said Carl confidently.
Bess's face suddenly brightened. "It will be helping, to let her go, won't it?"
"I suppose so," sighed Louise, "but it is such a dreadful thing."
"Oh, no, not dreadful at all!" and Aunt Zélie laughed at the doleful faces. "You can help, all of you, by being cheerful. And think what nice letters you can write me!"
"What will the club do?" Carl demanded.
"Conduct itself with propriety, to be sure; and now I must pack my trunk."
"Think of your wishing that something would happen!" said Bess reproachfully to her brother as they went upstairs.
It was very forlorn next morning to say good-by, knowing that when they came from school Aunt Zélie would not be there; but they remembered their promise and tried to be cheerful. How the rest of the day passed Bess told in a letter written that evening: