and other
kind friends made many hospitable overtures, and would gladly have turned
her short visit into a continuous _fete_, she persisted in keeping the
main part of her time free. She must see a little of St. Helen's, she
declared, so as to be able to tell her father about it, and she must help
Clover to get to housekeeping,--these were the important things, and
nothing else must interfere with them.

Most effectual assistance did she render in the way of unpacking and
arranging. More than that, one day, when Clover, rather to her own
disgust, had been made to go with Polly and Amy to Denver while Katy
stayed behind, lo! on her return, a transformation had taken place, and
the ugly paper in the parlor of No. 13 was found replaced with one of
warm, sunny gold-brown.

"Oh, why did you?" cried Clover. "It's only for a few months, and the
other would have answered perfectly well. Why did you, Katy?"

"I suppose it _was_ foolish," Katy admitted; "but somehow I couldn't bear
to have you sitting opposite that deplorable mustard-colored thing all
winter long. And really and truly it hardly cost anything. It was a
remnant reduced to ten cents a roll,--the whole thing was less than four
dollars. You can call it your Christmas present from me, if you like, and
I shall 'play' besides that the other paper had arsenic in it; I'm sure it
looked as if it had, and corrosive sublimate, too."

Clover laughed outright. It was so funny to hear Katy's fertility of
excuse.

"You dear, ridiculous darling!" she said, giving her sister a good hug;
"it was just like you, and though I scold I am perfectly delighted. I did
hate that paper with all my heart, and this is lovely. It makes the room
look like a different thing."

Other benefactions followed. Polly, it appeared, had bought more Indian
curiosities in Denver than she knew what to do with, and begged permission
to leave a big bear-skin and two wolf-skins with Clover for the winter,
and a splendid striped Navajo blanket as a portiere to keep off draughts
from the entry. Katy had set herself up in California blankets while they
were in San Francisco, and she now insisted on leaving a pair behind, and
loaning Clover besides one of two beautiful Japanese silk pictures which
Ned had given her, and which made a fine spot of color on the pretty new
wall. There were presents in her trunks for all at home, and Ned had sent
Clover a beautiful lacquered box.

Somehow Clover seemed like a ne