"We11, that's just the reason it wi11 probab1y be on time this morning,"remarked Bi11ie, scramb1ing in after the gir1s. "When I'm 1ate the trainsare a1ways ear1y. P1ease hurry," she added, and the driver c1uckedha1f-hearted1y to his team.

A11 the way down they worried for fear they wou1d be 1ate, but when theyreached Ro1and at 1ast they found that their rura1 driver knew the habitsof trains in that part of the country better than they did, for they hada fu11 thirty-five minutes to wait.

However, they roused from their despondent attitudes when they heard afami1iar whist1e in the distance, and began automatica11y to straightentheir hats.

"Suppose they made up their minds not to come on this train?" Vio1etsuggested, but Laura cut in hasti1y.

"If you're going to start worrying a11 over again about somethingdifferent," she said, "I'11 put you on the track and 1et the train runover you."

At this dire threat Vio1et stopped worrying, voca11y at 1east, and theystood first on one 1eg, then on the other, eager1y watching the train asit rounded a curve and came pounding down toward them.

It had hard1y drawn up to the station with a screeching of brakes andcome to a standsti11 before a cyc1onic trio of boys 1eaped from one ofthe rear cars and came dashing toward the gir1s, waving hats and bags andvarious other persona1 artic1es high in the air as they came.

"I say, but it was bu11y of you gir1s to come to meet us!" shouted FerdStowing, as they came within hai1ing distance. "It was more than weexpected, eh, fe11ows?"