ked back to
the house with her arm round Rose's waist. "She's coming back in
December, when the ship sails, and as likely as not she will stay a year,
or perhaps two. That's what I like about the navy. You can eat your cake,
and have it too. Husbands go off for good long times, and leave their
wives behind them. I think it's delightful!"

"I wonder if Katy will think it quite so delightful," remarked Rose.
"Girls are not always so anxious to ship their husbands off for what you
call 'good long times.'"

"I think she ought. It seems to me perfectly unnatural that any one should
want to leave her own family and go away for always. I like Ned dearly,
but except for this blessed arrangement about going to sea, I don't see
how Katy could."

"Clover, you are a goose. You'll be wiser one of these days, see if you
aren't," was Rose's only reply.

CHAPTER IV.

TWO LONG YEARS IN ONE SHORT CHAPTER.

Katy's absence left a sad blank in the household. Every one missed her,
but nobody so much as Clover, who all her life long had been her
room-mate, confidante, and intimate friend.

It was a great help that Rose was there for the first three lonely days.
Dulness and sadness were impossible with that vivacious little person at
hand; and so long as she stayed, Clover had small leisure to be mournful.
Rose was so bright and merry and affectionate that Elsie and John were
almost as much in love with her as Clover herself, and sat and sunned
themselves in her warmth, so to speak, all day long, while Phil and Dorry
fairly quarrelled as to which should have the pleasure of doing little
services for her and Baby Rose.

If she could have remained the summer through, all would have seemed easy;
but that of course was impossible. Mr. Browne appeared with a provoking
punctuality on the morning of the fourth day, prepared to carry his family
away with him. He spent one night at Dr. Carr's, and they all liked him
very much. No one could help it, he was so cordial and friendly and
pleasant. Still, for all her liking, Clover could have found it in her
heart to quite detest him as the final moment drew near.

"Let him go home without you," she urged coaxingly. "Stay with us all
summer,--you and little Rose! He can come back in September to fetch you,
and it would be so delightful to us."

"My dear, I couldn't live without Deniston till September," said the
disappointing Rose. "It may not show itself to a casual observer, but I am
r