"But you are; there's another big tear. I know you're sorry, and so am I. But I'm coming back." "I shall be glad to see you when you come back; of course I shall, for your sister's sake. And you'll be writing to Mary, and she'll tell me where you are. And when she's writing to you she'll--" The bright little face turned suddenly, and its owner saw the Doctor standing near with an amused expression on his features, and, perhaps, a little moisture in his eyes. She uttered a cheery "Good-morning," to which the Doctor returned, "Good-morning, Miss Effie. This is an unexpected pleasure." "You see, Doctor" (she blushed and stammered a little as she spoke), "you know I like to take a walk in the morning, and happened to come down to the station." "Of course, quite accidental," said the Doctor, with a merry twinkle in his eyes. "Yes, that is, I knew Frank--I mean Mr. Bassett--that is, I knew you were all three going away, and I thought I might come down and see you start." "Quite proper, Miss Effie," was the reply; "so good-bye: I must look after the tickets and the baggage." "Good-bye, Doctor Bronson; good-bye, Mr. Fred. _Bon voyage!_" Frank lingered behind, and the rest of the dialogue has not been recorded. "She's a nice girl," said Fred to the Doctor as they made their way to the ticket-office. "And she's very fond of Mary Bassett, Frank's sister. Spiteful people say, though, that she's oftener in Frank's company than in Mary's; and I know Frank is ready to punch the head of any other boy that dares to look at her." "Quite so," answered Dr. Bronson; "I don't think Frank is likely to be forgetful of home." Soon the whistle sounded, the great train rolled into the station, the conductor shouted "All aboard!" our friends took their seats, the bell rang, and the locomotive coughed asthmatically as it moved on. Frank looked back as long as the station was in sight. Somebody continued to wave a delicate handkerchief until the train had disappeared; somebody's eyes were full of tears, and so were the eyes of somebody else. Somebody's good wishes followed the travellers, and the travellers--Frank especially--wafted back good wishes for that somebody. [Illustration: GOOD-BYE.] CHAPTER II. OVERLAND TO CALIFORNIA. Our three travellers were seated in a Pullman car on the Erie Railway. Frank remarked that they were like the star of empire, as they were taking their way westward. [Illustration: OVERLAND BY STAGE IN THE OLDEN TIME.] Fred replied that he thought the star of empire had a much harder time of it, as it had no cushioned seat to rest upon, and no plate-glass window to look from. [Illustration: OVERLAND BY RAIL IN A PULLMAN CAR.] "And it doesn't go at the rate of thirty miles an hour," the Doctor added. [Illustration: COOKING-RANGE IN THE OLDEN TIME.] [Illustration: COOKING-RANGE ON A PULLMAN CAR.]