Mrs. Redmond and the girls drove to the station, where Fritz and Lucian met them after a brisk walk down town. "Fritz," said Amy, as the two stood together in the hotel sitting-room, "I have a confession to make." "Open confession is good for the soul, so out with it at once, fair lady." "It is simply this: I am really glad that you are here to take charge of things. Even in travelling mamma, you know, hates to attend to practical details. Now of course we have got on very well, barring one or two little things." "Fires and such." There was a mischievous twinkle in Fritz's eye. "Oh, well, even that might have been worse; so now, until we reach Halifax, I do wish that you would take charge of everything." "With pleasure," responded Fritz. "Especially will I see that you do not mislay your keys. But you look tired, Amy. Come, sit down." Whereupon Amy sank wearily upon a sofa, only too glad that for the present her responsibility was shifted to some one else. There was a funny side, however, to the zeal displayed by Fritz and Lucian. They insisted, with an emphasis that no one dared oppose, that the girls and Mrs. Redmond should rest quietly while they went out to shop. "My dear boys," Mrs. Redmond had protested, "there is hardly a thing that we shall really need before we reach Halifax. In the parlor cars we shall be unnoticed and perfectly comfortable, and after we have opened our trunks we can tell what we most require." "Oh, Mrs. Redmond, there must be some errands for us to do. Can't you trust us?" Lucian's face was so expressive of disappointment that Mrs. Redmond was glad that she had made out a small list. "Of course there are some things--and we are ever so much obliged to you and Fritz for your willingness to do errands." "You see," continued Lucian, confidentially, and dropping his voice that his sister might not overhear him, "I didn't ask Martine what she needed. That would have started her off to suggest no end of things,--you know what girls are. I can tell pretty well what she ought to have, so we'll just slip off before she can say anything." Fritz had condescended to accept a few suggestions from Amy, and the two boys rushed off in high spirits. An hour later, when they returned, their arms filled with packages, followed by a grinning hotel boy who was dragging a large parcel, Mrs. Redmond lifted her hands in amazement. "Two hats!" she exclaimed, in still greater surprise as they undid the strings of the larger package, "but only one was really needed. Martine left hers behind, but Amy--" "Now, Mrs. Redmond," said Fritz, "perhaps you didn't observe Amy's. Why, some one must have turned the hose on it; the flowers were all bedraggled, and the ribbon--Mrs. Redmond, surely you must have noticed its condition. But these are so pretty that I couldn't let Lucian be the only one to buy a hat." "It's certainly very thoughtful in you, Fritz, but still my list--"