"Your lights are torches, you can take them with you out into the world," said Laura.
"As we are all so solemncholy, I'll propose a toast:
'To the dear, ducky duckies,The Happy-Go-Luckys!'"
cried Mat.
"And here's another—take it for your motto:
'For lofty flightsThe Torchlights!'"
Ivy's neat allusion brought forth three cheers for Bud Waters.
"Mr. Dawson inquired about Bud to-day. I bet he'll look out for him, though he has been kind to the Torchlights all along."
The girls glanced at each other as if to say, "What did I tell you?"
"The other day he gave us the use of a big room over his offices; said we could use it for a library and he'd provide the books and furniture," said Mark.
"When there's 'something doing' in the way of reform, Fred Dawson is right there," said Jack.
Whereupon there followed three ringing cheers for that gentleman, which made Alene color with pride. And then the meeting adjourned.
They all descended to the first floor, where the boys joined the men in the library, and the girls went outside for a parting ramble and chat, with Prince gambolling around them.
"There are things about the Torchlights we might copy," remarked Laura. "They take in members whether they like them or not, and try to help them."
"We might invite Hermione and Vera to start with," suggested Ivy.
"That would be kind. I think they would like it," said Alene.
They had reached the grassy terrace beneath the apple-trees, and Ivy, with a sudden recollection exclaimed,
"Girls, it was here we first met, or I should say parted, for Net and I ran so hard we lost our apples in tumbling over the wall, leaving poor Lol to be eaten up by Prince."
"That was the fifteenth of June. I remember it so well," said Laura.
"We have had some lovely times together since then," said Alene.
"To-day was the loveliest of all," declared Ivy.
Then Alene uttered hopefully a prediction that in time proved a true one:
"Girls, we'll have a happier time still on the anniversary of that day—Ivy will be cured, and we'll dance round the Maypole together, the 'maddest, merriest' Happy-Go-Luckys in all the world!"
THE END.