.

"I don't understand," she added, "why they should go straight to Oregon
without coming here first."

Dwight hazarded that Nin probably had to get back, and shone pleasantly
in the reflected importance of a brother filled with affairs.

"I don't know what to make of Lulu's letters," Ina proceeded. "They're
so--so--"

"You haven't had but two, have you?"

"That's all--well, of course it's only been a month. But both letters
have been so--"

Ina was never really articulate. Whatever corner of her brain had the
blood in it at the moment seemed to be operative, and she let the matter
go at that.

"I don't think it's fair to mamma--going off that way. Leaving her own
mother. Why, she may never see mamma again--" Ina's breath caught. Into
her face came something of the lovely tenderness with which she
sometimes looked at Monona and Di. She sprang up. She had forgotten to
put some supper to warm for mamma. The lovely light was still in her
face as she bustled about against the time of mamma's recovery from her
tantrim. Dwight's face was like this when he spoke of his foster-mother.
In both these beings there was something which functioned as pure love.

Mamma had recovered and was eating cold scrambled eggs on the corner of
the kitchen table when the ice cream soda party was ready to set out.
Dwight threw her a casual "Better come, too, Mother Bett," but she shook
her head. She wished to go, wished it with violence, but she contrived
to give to her arbitrary refusal a quality of contempt. When Jenny
arrived with Bobby, she had brought a sheaf of gladioli for Mrs. Bett,
and took them to her in the kitchen, and as she laid the flowers beside
her, the young girl stopped and kissed her. "You little darling!" cried
Mrs. Bett, and clung to her, her lifted eyes lit by something intense
and living. But when the ice cream party had set off at last, Mrs. Bett
left her supper, gathered up the flowers, and crossed the lawn to the
old cripple, Grandma Gates.

"Inie sha'n't have 'em," the old woman thought.

And then it was quite beautiful to watch her with Grandma Gates, whom
she tended and petted, to whose complainings she listened, and to whom
she tried to tell the small events of her day. When her neighbour had
gone, Grandma Gates said that it was as good as a dose of medicine to
have her come in.

Mrs. Bett sat on the porch restored and pleasant when the family
returned. Di and Bobby had walked home with Jenny.

"Look