Hark! Wasn't that the rattle of wheels? Yes,--there came the buckboard at last. Blue Bonnet sprang up excitedly. Had Alec heard? She shot a look in the direction of the croquet-ground. Alec had heard; had glanced at the cloud of dust that marked the approaching team, and then--had gone calmly on with his work. He was looking for travellers on horseback, and the buckboard's arrival won only slight notice from him. He would let the girls spring their surprise on Blue Bonnet and have the hubbub over before he intruded. "Alec!" called Blue Bonnet in a fever of excitement; but he merely waved to her indulgently and went on fitting a candle into a socket with exasperating slowness. With her arms full of flaming poppies, Blue Bonnet flew to the house and reached the veranda just as the other girls poured from the door, and the buckboard came to a standstill. There was the General, and beside him--Blue Bonnet gasped as she saw--was a boyish figure with close-cropped hair. The poppies fell to the ground in a brilliant heap, and the moment that Susy and Ruth alighted Blue Bonnet gathered them both in an ecstatic hug. But not for long was she permitted a monopoly. These newly arrived two-sevenths were passed from hand to hand, or, more literally, from arm to arm, and caressed and exclaimed over until Mrs. Clyde came to the rescue of the tired girls. The General's arrival had become of quite secondary importance. He stood talking to the Senora until Blue Bonnet at last turned to him apologetically. "I'm very glad to see you!" she said. General Trent took her outstretched hand and smiled down into the eager flushed face. "You are very good to say so. A mere man is decidedly _de trop_ on such an occasion!" "No, you're not! Only I was expecting you and I wasn't expecting Susy and Ruth,--so I rather lost my head. How did you happen to bring the girls?" "I didn't bring them, really. Dr. Clark wanted them to have a change of air, and when Mrs. Doyle heard I was coming here she asked if I would mind playing escort to her girls,--a change of air spelt only Texas to them, it seems. My delight may better be imagined than described, and--here we are. Ah, Miss Kitty, you see me at last!" He paused to shake hands with the young lady, and then the others came shyly up with greetings. "You didn't know I had a surprise up my sleeve, did you?" Blue Bonnet challenged the girls. "You must wear long sleeves!" laughed Kitty, tilting her chin to look up at the tall military figure. The General laughed with the rest but Blue Bonnet could see him looking about with some impatience. "Where's Alec?" he asked finally. "We'll go find him. Take everybody indoors, will you, Grandmother? I'll be back in a minute." Looking particularly small and slight, Blue Bonnet moved off with her tall companion towards the croquet-ground, where Alec, all unconscious of their approach, stood on a step-ladder adjusting one of the paper lanterns.