“Good-by, Gretel darling,” Mrs. Douane whispered, coming back to give her little sister a last kiss. “A month will soon pass, and then we shall all be together again, and just think how happy we shall all be.”
“I am thinking of it all the time,” answered Gretel, hastily winking back the rising tears. “I shall count the days till the first of June, though.”
At the same moment Mr. Douane was shaking hands with Mrs. Barlow.
“It is mighty good of you people to take charge of our little sister for the next month,” he said, heartily. “I shall look up a place for the summer as soon as possible, and hope we shall be settled somewhere by the time you come north in June.”
“Indeed you need not thank us,” said Mrs. Barlow, smiling. “It will be a real pleasure to have dear little Gretel with us; I know of no sweeter companion for my children.” And this time Mrs. Barlow spoke as if she meant what she said, and not as if she were quoting something out of a book.
“Hurrah!” shouted Jerry, waving his cap from the church steps, as the carriage containing the bridal couple disappeared around the corner, “that’s over, and now we can go home and take off our best clothes. Weddings aren’t so bad, after all, but they’re not half so much fun as dress-parade.”
“Come along, Gretel,” said Geraldine, slipping an arm about her friend’s waist; a most unusual demonstration of affection from her. “I’m glad you didn’t go away, too. Miss Heath did look lovely, and I can’t help feeling a little sorry we’re not going to see her any more, but Mother says we can stop at that candy store we passed, and buy all the chocolates we want, to make up for there not being any wedding cake.”
CHAPTER XIII
THE PALACE OF BEAUTY
IT was a lovely June afternoon, and an automobile was bowling swiftly along the Hudson Boulevard, away from the big, noisy city. It was a large touring-car, and in it were four persons. On the front seat were a lady and gentleman, the latter of whom was running the car himself, and in the back were a little girl and a maid. The little girl, to whom motoring was still a novelty, was looking about her in wide-eyed interest, and uttering little ejaculations of delight every few seconds.
“Isn’t it beautiful, Higgins?” she cried, turning to the maid. “I didn’t know there were such beautiful places anywhere near New York, did you?”