Mr. Bunker waved his newspaper and as he reached the gate and saw the visitor a pleasant smile came over his face and he cried: “Well, Adam North! Glad to see you! How’s Farmer Joel?” “Right hearty! I brought you those flowers.” “That’s good! Hello, Russ! How’s everything here?” “All right, Daddy!” “Daddy! Daddy!” came in a chorus from the other little Bunkers, and their father was overwhelmed in a joyous rush. “What’s the secret?” “Tell us the secret!” “Can Mother tell us the secret now?” These were only a few of the words Mr. Bunker heard as he was hugged and kissed. “Secret?” he exclaimed, looking at Adam. “What secret?” “Oh, you know!” laughed Rose. “It must be about Farmer Joel!” “Oh, that!” chuckled Mr. Bunker. “Yes, the secret is about him,” he admitted. “But how did you all know it?” “There’s been a lot of excitement in the last hour,” said Adam. “I nearly ran over a doll, just missed smashing Russ, and there’s a secret in the air. Oh, nobody’s hurt,” he quickly added, for he saw that Mr. Bunker looked a little alarmed at the mention of what had so nearly been an accident. “That’s good,” said Daddy Bunker. “The secret! The secret!” begged the children. “All right. Come into the house and I’ll tell you the secret,” he promised. With whoops of delight, in trooped the six little Bunkers. CHAPTER IV WHERE IS LADDIE? “Supper is all ready, Daddy! We’ll sit right down,” called Mother Bunker, as the happy crowd entered. “I see you have already met Farmer Joel’s man,” she added, nodding and smiling. “Oh, yes, Adam and I are old friends,” Mr. Bunker said. “And I’m glad supper is ready, for I’m hungry. Let me see now——” “The secret! The secret!” “You promised to tell us the secret!” “Tell us now!” “Don’t wait until after supper!” Thus cried the six little Bunkers. “Quiet, children! Please be quiet!” begged their mother. “What will Adam North think of you?” “Oh, let ’em go on! I like it!” chuckled the truck driver. “I think perhaps I had better tell the secret,” said Mr. Bunker. “It is the only way we shall have any peace and quiet. Now all of you sit down to the table,” he ordered, “and when you can compose yourselves I will tell you what I have to say.” It took some little time for all of the six little Bunkers to get quiet, but finally each one was sitting nicely in his or her chair, with their father at one end of the table and their mother at the other, Adam having a place next to Mr. Bunker. “Now,” said Mr. Bunker, when all was quiet, “in order that you will not eat too fast, to get through supper quickly to hear the secret, I am going to tell it to you now.” “Oh, I can hardly wait!” murmured Rose. “What is it?” asked Violet. Then came a moment of eager, anxious waiting. “We are all going to spend the summer at Farmer Joel’s,” said Mr. Bunker suddenly. “Oh! Oh! Oh!” came the murmurs of delight. Mrs. Bunker, with laughter shining in her eyes, looked at the happy faces around her.