Page:Anna Chapin--Half a dozen boys.djvu/270

240 “I thought I’d give her a surprise party,” he explained, “and not tell her you were here.”

Now it happened that the day was so warm that the sisters, feeling safe from all interruption, were lounging in Alice’s room, having a long afternoon rest before dressing for dinner. At Rob’s summons, Bess hastily twisted up her hair, put on a long wrapper of some creamy, clinging wool, and thrust her feet into an ancient pair of slippers, whose soles and uppers were rapidly parting company. Thus attired, she ran lightly down the stairs, and out on the piazza, exclaiming,—

“What have you boys been”—

And then stopped aghast, as she caught sight of Mr. Muir, who rose to meet her.

“There! I told you she’d be astonished,” commented Rob triumphantly. “Only think, cousin Bess, he found us floating off down the river, and he knows cousin Alice and all.”

A week later, Rob was waked early one morning by a sound of splashing water. For a moment he lay in that pleasant interval between sleeping and waking, dreamily listening  to the morning twittering of the birds, and