The mere thought of seeing her mother's face, of hearing her father's voice, sent the blood dancing through her veins.

And yet--she must leave the farm; she must leave Nurse Lucy and the farmer, and they would miss her.

They loved her; ah! how could they help it, when she loved them so much?
And the pain came again at her heart as she recalled the sad smile with which the farmer had handed her this letter.

"Good news for you, Huldy," he said, "but bad for the rest of us, I reckon!" Had he had word also, or did he just know that this was about the time they had meant to return?
Oh, but she would come out so often to the farm! Papa and mamma would be willing, would wish her to come; and she could not live long at a time in town, without refreshing herself with a breath of _real_ air, country air.

She might have _wilted_ along somehow for sixteen years; but she had never been _really_ alive--had she ?--till this summer.
Pink and Bubble too! they would miss her almost as much.