On the morning Alice was to come, Mary Jane got up early; dressed herself as quickly as possible and ran down the stairs.  Just in the nick of time she was too, for Grandfather was ready to start to the station.

“Take me, please take me along!” she called as she heard him crank up his car.

“Hello, Pussy; you up?” he answered; “to be sure you may go along.  Get your grandmother to give you a big piece of coffee cake to eat on the way and we’ll be off.”

Grandmother heard what he said and had the coffee cake ready as Mary Jane ran into the kitchen.  A wonderful big piece, she cut, all full of sugary, buttery “wells” that Mary Jane liked so much.  She wrapped it in a napkin so it wouldn’t get Mary Jane’s dress sticky with its sweetness, threw a woolen scarf around the little girl’s shoulders for the early morning air was cool and waved a good-by as they rode out of the yard.

They reached the station just as the great train pulled in and saw the conductor and porter help Alice down the steps of the car.  Mary Jane thought she had never seen any one look so nice in all her life!  Grandfather set her out of the auto and she ran as fast as ever she could and threw her arms around her sister.  Alice held her tight a minute and then turned to kiss her grandfather.

“So you’re here all right, Blunderbuss,” said Grandfather heartily, using the nickname he had given her long ago, “and you haven’t lost a bit of your hair!” Alice laughed as he looked admiringly at her long golden braids.

“I haven’t,” she replied teasingly, “but I can’t say as much for you!” And she laughed at her grandfather’s bald head.

“Such a girl!  Such a girl!” exclaimed Grandfather proudly; “now I suppose I’ll have to get your trunk and take you home and stand your teasing the rest of the summer!” And in mock dismay he went for the trunk the baggage man had tossed off the train.

That was the beginning of more fun for Mary Jane.  First there was the house and farm which must be shown to Alice just as carefully as though she had never seen it before.  Then there were all the jolly things that Alice thought of to do—­Alice was always thinking up something to do, it seemed.  She fixed up a saddle for the lamb and taught Mary Jane to ride.  She tied tiny bells on the rabbits so they could be more easily found.  She helped Mary Jane take the ducks down to the creek at the end of the pasture and turn them into the water.  Mary Jane thought it perfectly wonderful that they should know how to swim—­“just as though they had taken regular lessons, Grandfather,” she said as she told him about it afterwards.  And Alice learned how to make bread—­with Mary Jane helping to turn the crank of the bread mixer so she wouldn’t feel left out.

On the third day of Alice’s visit Frances Westland came over to play and the three little girls went out into the front yard and wondered what they would do.