"Oh, Jim! Please, please tell me? I must know now, really I must.

Please, please," begged Dorothy.

"I shan't tell," remarked Jim, slowly walking away from her.

"Jim! Jim!" called Dorothy, running after him. "Dear Jim, please, please tell me."

"Girls certainly are curious creatures," soliloquized Jim, as Dorothy had turned on her heel and was walking quickly toward the door, saying to herself, but loud enough for Jim to hear, "Well, Aunt Betty will tell me, I'm sure."

"Aunt Betty. Oh, Aunt Betty!" called Dorothy as she burst into the sewing room where Aunt Betty and Alfy were still sewing. "Jim says--oh, I mean, you must tell me what the surprise is for to-morrow.

He said Gerald would take me to Herr Deichenberg's for my lesson in the morning and then he wouldn't tell me any more."

"Well, can't my little girl wait till then and see what more, for herself? That's much better than having some one tell you,"

remonstrated Aunt Betty.

"I'll tell you, Dorothy," said Alfy.

"You will?" interrupted Dorothy, "you dear."

"Don't interrupt me, Dorothy. I was going to say--what was I going to say?" said Alfy. "I know. I said I'd tell you--well, I meant to say I would tell you that a surprise isn't a surprise if you know beforehand."

"I thought you were going to tell me," remarked Dorothy, "but you didn't even intend to."

"I guess my little girl will have to wait," severely murmured Aunt Betty, kissing Dorothy, who by this time was standing very near her aunt's chair.

"Well," said Dorothy, "I guess I shall have to." So she sat down and took up her sewing again.

All three carefully sewed in silence for some time till Aunt Betty said: "Dorothy, girl, I think you could try on this dress, now."

"Certainly," replied Dorothy. "I am sure I ought to be quite willing."

Aunt Betty and Alfy fitted the dress carefully, altering the seams in the shoulders and cutting out the neck some. Before they had stopped sewing they had nearly finished this dress and had two others well under way.

Putting away their sewing carefully so as they could start again early in the morning, they all went to their rooms to dress for dinner.

They had a quiet meal after which Dorothy played for them awhile, and then they all sang songs, each choosing the songs they liked best.

Thus they spent a quiet but most enjoyable evening. They retired early as Alfy was quite tired after her long journey and wanted to get a good night's sleep.

They had an early breakfast of pancakes and maple syrup of which Alfy was very fond, and soon after, the three were busy again in the sewing room. There they stayed, quietly working and talking, Alfy telling of the little Babc.o.c.ks, till it was time for the girls to get ready for the automobile ride. Dorothy had apparently forgotten all about the surprise for she never even mentioned it at all.

"Alfy," said Dorothy, when they were most ready, "when we get to Herr Deichenberg's you must be very quiet as I take my lesson and not say anything at all. You know Herr does not like to be disturbed while he gives a lesson. You will find many curious things to look at, and if you want to ask about any of them, you just remember what you want to ask about and tell me after."

Alfy promised, and in a few minutes the girls heard Gerald toot his automobile horn. Quickly they ran, waving good-bye and throwing kisses to Aunt Betty, who was looking out of the second story window. With Jim seated beside Gerald, they started.

Dorothy told Gerald the direction to take and after a very short time they drew up at Herr Deichenberg's little cottage. The girls descended and bade Jim and Gerald good-bye.

"Oh, Dorothy," Gerald called back, "when shall I return for you?"

Dorothy, greatly surprised, questioned, "You are coming back, Gerald?"

"Surely."

"Oh, goody, goody. Be here at twelve o'clock. That will bring us back home in time for lunch at one o'clock."

Alfy, who thought the previous ride had been to short altogether, exclaimed "Oh, I'm so, so, so glad. We can have another ride. Oh, Dorothy, I do just love automobiling, I really do."

Frau Deichenberg came to the door just then and ushered the two girls into the cozy living-room where they laid aside their wraps. "Herr is in the studio," murmured Frau. "He is awaiting you there, Miss Dorothy."

"I'll go right up," answered Dorothy. "Now Frau Deichenberg, do not bother with Alfy at all. She can amuse herself till I finish." With that Dorothy ascended the stairs and Frau, after excusing herself by saying she must tend dinner as they always had dinner at noon--Herr wanted it so--left Alfy alone.

Alfy roamed about the room and examined all kinds of curios,--queer baskets, curious vases, old fans and precious paintings and etchings.

So quickly did the time pa.s.s that she never noticed Dorothy as she came into the room.

"Well, Alfy, all ready to go home?" chirped Dorothy from behind her.

"Well, well, I never knew you were through. When did you come into the room, just now?" asked Alfy.

"Yes, Alfy, just now, and if I'm not mistaken, there is Gerald tooting his horn outside--he must be hailing us," remarked Dorothy. The girls quickly donned their coats, bid good-bye to Frau, and departed.

Dorothy exclaimed in delight, "Look, look, Alfy, its dear Aurora, she must have come too! Oh, you dear, dear girl, I am so glad to see you!"

And Dorothy embraced her, fondly kissing her several times. "Alfy, this is Aurora Banks, Gerald's sister. Aurora, you have heard me speak of Alfaretta many times, I am sure."

"Oh, I am so glad to know you," heartily responded Aurora, "Dorothy is always talking of you."

"Well, Jim, now I know what the surprise is," laughed Dorothy, "its Aurora."

"Now, that's all wrong," warned Gerald, "altogether wrong."

"No it isn't, is it Jim?" remarked Dorothy.

"Well, yes and no," tactfully put in Jim. "The real surprise is this,--Aunt Betty has ordered a luncheon for all of us, a farewell luncheon for you, Dorothy, and we are all invited; so let's hurry home. I'm hungry for one."

"And I--I am most near starved," cried Alfy.

The young people reached home just as luncheon was ready, and my! what a luncheon it was; all declared there never was a finer.

CHAPTER IV.

IN NEW YORK.

"Good-bye--good-bye--dear old Bellevieu," sang Dorothy. "Good-bye all for a long, long time, for to-day has my career begun."

Aunt Betty looked sadly at the dear old home and felt very loathe to part from it and its comforts.

Then all, Dorothy, Alfaretta, Jim and Aunt Betty, waved fond farewells to the faithful old force of servitors who stood lined up in the doorway.