As the little party entered the station, there was a flutter of light
raiment and bright ribbons, and Nan found herself fairly surrounded by
the eleven King's Daughters. They took possession of the baby, who
brightened up wonderfully at the sight of them, and they seized the
valise and Mrs. Rawson's handbag, and they trooped altogether through
the great station to the waiting train, and instead of saying, "Can't
go through yet, ladies--not till the train's made up," the gatekeeper
smiled in genial fashion into their bright faces and promptly unlocked
the gate for them. That was because one of them was the daughter of a
railroad official, but Nan didn't know that.
The train was not all ready, but two of the parlor cars were there,
and into one of these the girls climbed, and then they found the seats
belonging to Mrs. Rawson and Nan, and put the extra wraps up in the
rack for them and pushed up the window, and did everything else that
they could think of for the comfort of the travellers.
Then one of them pinned a great bunch of deliciously fragrant violets
to Nan's dress, and another fastened a tiny silver cross above the
violets, as she whispered,
"We've made you a member of our circle, Nan, dear, and this is our
badge."
And then Nan noticed that every one of the girls wore the tiny, silver
cross somewhere about her dress.
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