The next morning a letter came to Mr. Littell from Mr. Gordon, thanking him warmly for his kindness to Betty, containing the a.s.surance of the writer's lasting grat.i.tude, and asking him if he and his wife would oversee her preparations for the journey, help her engage a berth, and start her on her way. A generous check was enclosed, and Mrs. Littell and the girls immediately set about helping Betty do the necessary shopping, while Mr. Littell engaged her reservations on the Western Limited. She had decided to leave the following Wednesday, and when Bob came out to spend the week-end, he immediately announced his intention of going too.

"I figure out Flame City is the nearest station to my aunt's old place. I have enough money saved now, and there's no reason why I should stay on here. Hurrah for Oklahoma!"

The preparations went forward merrily after that, and Wednesday found Betty on the Western Limited, bound for Flame City. What happened to her there and her experience in the great oil fields will be told in another volume to be called, "Betty Gordon in the Land of Oil; or, The Farm That Was Worth a Fortune."

Bobby insisted that they make the week-end at Fairfields a farewell celebration to be remembered, and the six young people managed to get the maximum of enjoyment out of every hour. Bob had been brought out to Sat.u.r.day luncheon, and as soon as he had heard about the Oklahoma trip and announced his own plans, Louise insisted that Betty was to have a lesson in riding.

"Of course you'll want to ride out West," she said. "They all do in pictures. Come on out to the barn, and we'll get the ponies out."

A stable boy brought out a gentle, coal-black pony, and Betty mounted him trustingly.

"Why, it's lovely!" cried Betty, enjoying the sensation to the full.

"He goes like a rocking chair, bless his heart! I'm sure I can learn to ride."

"Of course you can!" Bobby encouraged her swiftly. "You must try him at a slow canter in a minute. Here comes Esther with the camera."

A picture of Betty was taken, and then the lesson was resumed. At the close of the afternoon Bobby announced that Betty was in a fair way to become a good horsewoman.

Mr. and Mrs. Littell took them into Washington to the theater that night, and to make up the hours of lost sleep all the young people slept late the next morning.

Instead of going into Washington to church, they all went to the little country church that Mrs. Littell attended and loved, and after the service they spent a quiet, pleasant day about the house and grounds of Fairfields.

That evening the five girls and Bob gathered on the s.p.a.cious white steps of the house to watch the beautiful Virginia sunset.

"Let's promise each other," suggested Betty, her pretty face serious and thoughtful, "to meet five years from now, wherever we may be, and compare notes. We'll be almost grown up then and know what we're going to be."

"No matter how often we meet, or how seldom, five years from to-day we'll promise to come together," agreed Bobby. "Here's my seal."

She put out her hand and the hands of the six interlocked in a tower.

"To our close friendship," murmured Betty, as they unclasped.

Then, the sun having set, they went into the glow and welcome of the lighted lamps.

THE END