“So you see!” said Lorna, seating herself on the steps and drawing Lem down beside her. “You may not be the only one with a sweetheart, Henrietta. Lem is going to be mine, are n't you, Lem?” “I don't know,” said Lem, with a boy's diffidence. “Oh, you must not say that. You must say, 'I'd love to, Miss Percy.' Only you must say, 'I'd love to, Lorna.' My name is Lorna. I'll call you Lem and you 'll call me Lorna. Will you?” “I don't care.” Gay erupted from her chair in a protesting billow of white and seated herself at Lem's other side. “Now, I'll not stand for this at all, Lorna Percy!” she complained. “You shan't kidnap him all for yourself. I have as much right to him as you have. You'll be my sweetheart, too, won't you, Lem?” “Yes'm, I guess so.” “There, you mean thing!” Gay laughed at Lorna. “You see! He's as much mine as he is yours.” It was pretty play and Lem did not mind it much. He had a boy's deep-grounded belief that all girls were silly, and these were only older girls. “In this letter Bill says--” said Henrietta Bates. Gay and Lorna turned their heads. “Oh, excuse me, Henrietta!” Gay cried. “We are truly just crazy to hear what your Bill says, but having a really, truly sweetheart of our own is such a new experience--” “Come down on the steps and be comfy,” added Lorna. “No, I'll read it here,” said Henrietta, and she opened the letter. “Well--there's part I can't read to you--” “Of course.” “And then he says, 'I thought of you a hundred times while on my fishing trip. Some day you must learn to cast a fly so we can make some of these trips together. You would be the best of companions. And now, dearest girl, I want to ask you the most important question of all. Do you think you can make your preparations so that we can be married in August?'” “In August!” cried Gay. “I thought it was going to be impossible before next year, Etta?” “It is a change in his plans,” said Henrietta. “Shall I read the rest?” “Do, please,” said Gay, and “Yes, indeed,” said Lorna. “'I'm asking this, dear,' he goes on,” said Henrietta, “'because I have just had most wonderful news. I'm to be sent to Africa. A big job'--the biggest I ever had. It is wonderful country and I want you to enjoy it with me. It is too far to go without you. So it must be an August wedding because we have to sail in September!'” “Henrietta! How grand!” Gay cried. “Isn't it?” Henrietta agreed. “Africa, girls! Just think of it! Am I not the luckiest thing?” “Think of it, young Lemuel,” Lorna said. “Her sweetheart is going to marry her and carry her off to Africa, where the lions are. You see what I shall expect of you, young man. The very least you can do is to get ready to carry me off to Europe.” “And me to Asia,” said Gay.