Doctor Clark stepped forward, clearing his throat queerly. "Fact is, Miss Blue Bonnet," he began, "they--they can't go." "Can't go?" Blue Bonnet started incredulously at the stammering doctor. "No, you see,--well, in fact, they're ill," he completed lamely. Why didn't some one help him out, the doctor fumed inwardly, instead of letting him be the one to cloud that beaming face? Suddenly Kitty leaned down from the car step and whispered: "Scarlet fever!" "Both?" exclaimed the startled Blue Bonnet. "No, only Ruth. But Susy was exposed and Father didn't think it safe for her to come." "Oh, Kitty!" The tears sprang to Blue Bonnet's eyes--she fought them but they would come. "We're all broken up over it," said Kitty with her own lips trembling; "but it might have been worse. It's only because we've been too busy to go out there, that we weren't all exposed. Then it would have been good-bye to the ranch party." "Oh, Kitty, suppose you had!" The thought of the narrow escape dried Blue Bonnet's tears. "I'm mighty glad you four could come. But it won't be complete. And you know how I love to have things complete!" "Never mind, Blue Bonnet, you still have me!" cried Alec, coming in with a cheerful note. "'The poor ye have always with you!'" chimed in Kitty, and while everybody was laughing over this sally, Blue Bonnet took a snap-shot of the group, and then all the travellers trooped aboard. Mr. Ashe looked over the heads of the chattering crowd in the car and met Mrs. Clyde's amused eye. "How do you like mothering a family of this size?" he asked jocosely. "I fancy I feel much like the hen that hatched duck's eggs," Mrs. Clyde returned. There was a laugh at this, in the midst of which Sarah Blake was heard to remark solemnly: "Yes, children are a great responsibility." Whereat there was more laughter, and hardly had it subsided when from outside came the conductor's sonorous "All aboo--ard!" "Girls, we're really going!" gasped Kitty. There was a last vigorous waving of handkerchiefs out of the window. Suddenly a wail burst from Blue Bonnet: "Solomon! Solomon!" All looked at one another aghast. In the excitement of the last moments no one had thought of the dog. "Find Bennie Blake--he had Solomon last," cried Blue Bonnet, rushing to the platform. "I'll find him, don't you worry," exclaimed Alec, swinging down the steps just as the first creaks of the car gave notice of starting. "Alec--you'll get left!" cried Blue Bonnet. "There's Bennie,--oh, quick!" Sure enough, there on the edge of the crowd was Bennie, but alack!--no Solomon. "Stop the train, can't you, Uncle Cliff?" wailed Blue Bonnet. "Alec will be left--and Solomon too--"