Knowing this, their ever indulgent parents had prepared a pleasant surprise for them, causing a small tract of barren land on the Ion estate to be turned into an artificial lake.

It was this, shining in the golden beams of the morning sun, and a beautiful boat moored to the hither shore, that had called forth from the lips of the little girls those exclamations of almost incredulous wonder and delight.
"Yes; I'll ring for Dinah," cried Vi, skipping across the room and putting out her hand to lay hold of the bell pull.
"Wait, Vi, our prayers first, you know," said Elsie.
"Oh, yes! I do want to thank God for being so good to us; the pretty lake and boat and all." "Dear kind parents, safe journey home, too, and oh more things than we can count," added Elsie, as they knelt down side by side.
This duty performed with no irreverent haste, the maid was summoned and a careful toilet made in season to afford them time for a walk before mamma would be ready to see them.
They found their father in the lower veranda talking with the overseer, while Solon stood waiting with Beppo's bridle in his hand, the horse pawing the ground with impatience.
Eddie was there, too, caressing Bruno who seemed as glad to be at home again as any of the rest.

Uttering a joyous bark he left his young master and bounded to meet the little girls.
Mr.Travilla turned at the sound and with a kind fatherly smile, held out his hands.
"O papa," they cried running to him, "how good of you to have it made for us!" "Good-morning, my darlings," he said, giving and receiving caresses, "but what are you talking about ?" "Why the lake, papa; the lake and the boat." "Lake ?" exclaimed Eddie, "why where ?" "Oh, you couldn't see it from your windows," said Elsie.

"Papa, papa, may we go now and look at it ?" "Yes," he said, taking a hand of each.

"Larkin, I'll see you again after breakfast.