played
all the treasures as a girl shows her jewels to a companion, and
Christina knew she was being shown a great honour, for only special
friends were ever taken into Mother's Room.

The last jewel to be exhibited was the mother's photograph in an old
leather case, velvet lined.

"Folks say that after a person dies, the picture begins to fade,"
Auntie Elspie said, wiping the shining surface tenderly. "But mother's
picture is as bright as the day it was taken."

Christina looked at the strong, kindly face, with the white cap and the
little knitted shawl and felt her heart contract at the yearning in the
older woman's voice. Elspie was still a girl, longing for the touch of
her mother's hand, though that mother had been gone twenty-five years.

"Perhaps it's because you keep her memory so bright, that the picture
never fades," said Christina gently, and Auntie Elspie kissed her for
sheer gratitude.

When they came out into the sunshine of the kitchen again the other two
sisters were there to add their welcome. They had hurried in to see
who their visitor was and were overwhelmed with joy to find it was Mary
Lindsay's girl.

"I told you it was little Christina, Flora," cried Auntie Janet
triumphantly; "Flora said it was one o' the McKenzie girls!" And Flora
admitted herself beaten.

The two were in their farming costumes, old bits of past grandeur, a
purple velvet skirt for Janet and a sacque of ancient brocaded silk on
Flora, both accompanied by Gavin's cast off boots and wide straw hats.
But the wearers received Christina in her trim blue skirt and white
blouse, of the latest Algonquin style, with a high bred unconsciousness
of clothes.

"Oh, I'm that glad you've come," cried Janet, shaking her
fifteen-year-old ringlets from her big hat, "you've given us an excuse
for a rest. We were jist doin' a bit of _gardenin'_. Weren't we,
Flora?" she asked.

Auntie Flora's eyes twinkled, "Oh, yes, yes, jist _gardenin'_!" she
declared, and the three Aunties burst out laughing, and Auntie Janet
spread out her earth soiled hands with a comical gesture.

"We've been diggin' the potaties!" she whispered, her eyes dancing.
"But if Gavie caught us at it, we'd catch it! So we jist keep tellin'
him we've been _gardenin'_ an' he never suspects, an' he can't see us
from where he's ploughin'!"

"An' we'll be finished in another day if he doesn't find out!" cried
Auntie Flora exultingly.

"Aye, but jist wait, you'll ge