u said she resembled Cousin Pa'lina Bowden about the
forehead," suggested Mrs. Blackett.

"Well, she don't," answered Mrs. Todd impatiently. "I ain't one that's
ord'narily mistaken about family likenesses, and she didn't seem to meet
with friends, so I went square up to her. 'I expect you're a Bowden by
your looks,' says I. 'Yes, I can take it you're one o' the Bowdens.'
'Lor', no,' says she. 'Dennett was my maiden name, but I married a
Bowden for my first husband. I thought I'd come an' just see what was
a-goin' on!"

Mrs. Blackett laughed heartily. "I'm goin' to remember to tell William
o' that," she said. "There, Almiry, the only thing that's troubled me
all this day is to think how William would have enjoyed it. I do so wish
William had been there."

"I sort of wish he had, myself," said Mrs. Todd frankly.

"There wa'n't many old folks there, somehow," said Mrs. Blackett, with
a touch of sadness in her voice. "There ain't so many to come as there
used to be, I'm aware, but I expected to see more."

"I thought they turned out pretty well, when you come to think of it;
why, everybody was sayin' so an' feelin' gratified," answered Mrs. Todd
hastily with pleasing unconsciousness; then I saw the quick color flash
into her cheek, and presently she made some excuse to turn and steal an
anxious look at her mother. Mrs. Blackett was smiling and thinking about
her happy day, though she began to look a little tired. Neither of my
companions was troubled by her burden of years. I hoped in my heart that
I might be like them as I lived on into age, and then smiled to think
that I too was no longer very young. So we always keep the same hearts,
though our outer framework fails and shows the touch of time.

"'Twas pretty when they sang the hymn, wasn't it?" asked Mrs. Blackett
at suppertime, with real enthusiasm. "There was such a plenty o' men's
voices; where I sat it did sound beautiful. I had to stop and listen
when they came to the last verse."

I saw that Mrs. Todd's broad shoulders began to shake. "There was good
singers there; yes, there was excellent singers," she agreed heartily,
putting down her teacup, "but I chanced to drift alongside Mis' Peter
Bowden o' Great Bay, an' I couldn't help thinkin' if she was as far out
o' town as she was out o' tune, she wouldn't get back in a day."

XX. Along Shore

ONE DAY as I went along the shore beyond the old wharves and the newer,
high-stepped fabric of the steamer l