Part 15 (2/2)

”We scarcely know whether we have had you with us or not, Nan dear,” said her mother. ”But I suppose Rhoda wants to get home and see her folks, too; so we must not delay your journey. When you come back, however, mother wants her daughter to herself for a little while. We have been separated so much that I am not sure the fairies have not sent a changeling to me!” and she laughed.

At that, for it was not a hearty laugh and Momsey's eyes glistened, if Nan had not given her promise, ”black and blue,” to Rhoda, she would have excused herself and not gone to Rose Ranch at all. She knew that Momsey was lonely.

But Mrs. Sherwood did not mean to spoil her daughter's enjoyment.

And the opportunity to see this distant part of the country was too good to be neglected. Nan might never again have such a chance to go West.

So the three girls were sent off without any tears for the rendezvous with the Masons and Mrs. Janeway at Chicago.

They found Grace and Walter all right; but as the Masons had no idea what Mrs. Janeway looked like, and that lady had no description of the Masons, they had not met. Rhoda had to look up her mother's friend.

”What are you going to do, Rhoda?” asked the bubbling Bess. ”Track her down as you would an Indian? Look for signs--?”

”I don't believe in signs,” responded Rhoda. ”I am going to look for the best dressed woman in Chicago. Such lovely clothes as she wears!”

”I guess that must be so,” said Grace as Rhoda walked out of ear-shot, ”for Mrs. Janeway chose Rhoda's own outfit, and you know there wasn't a better dressed girl at Lakeview.”

”Wow!” murmured her brother. ”What a long tale about dress! Don't you girls ever think of anything but what you put on?”

”Oh, yes, sir,” declared Bess smartly. ”And you know that Rhoda thinks less about what she wears than most. It's lucky her mother had somebody she could trust to dress her daughter before she appeared at the Hall.”

”All on the surface! All on the surface!” grumbled Walter.

”Goodness, Walter,” said his sister, ”would you want us to swallow our dresses? Of course they are on the surface.”

”It certainly is a fact,” grinned Walter impudently, ”that the curriculum of Lakeview Hall makes its pupils wondrous sharp. Hullo!

here comes Rhoda towing a very nice looking lady, I must admit.”

In fact, at first sight the three other girls fell in love with Mrs. Janeway. She was a childless and wealthy widow, who, as she a.s.serted, ”just doted on girls.” She met them all warmly.

”I hope,” said Walter, with gravity, as she shook hands with him, ”that a mere boy may find favor in your eyes, too. Really, we're not all savages. Some of us are more or less civilized.”

”Well,” Mrs. Janeway sighed, but with twinkling eyes, ”I shall see how well you behave. Now, for our tickets.”

”I have the reservations,” Walter said quietly. ”A stateroom for you four ladies and a berth for me in the same car. In half an hour we pull out. And, girls!”

”Say it,” returned Bess.

”Is it something nice, Walter?” asked his sister.

”There is an observation platform on our car--the end car on the train. It goes all the way through to Osaka, where we are going. I think we are fixed just right.”

This proved to be the case. The young people pretty nearly lived on that rear platform, for the weather remained pleasant all through the journey. Mrs. Janeway sometimes found it hard work to get them in to go to bed.

The route this tourist car took was rather roundabout; but as Walter said, it landed them at the Osaka station, the nearest railroad point to Rose Ranch, in something like five days.

By this time they were getting a little weary of traveling by rail.

Walter declared he was ”saddle-sore” from sitting so much. When long lines of corrals and cattle-pens came in sight, Rhoda told them they were nearing Osaka.

<script>