he pounced on her immediately.

"What is the matter with you today, Ju?" she asked in an undertone, "I
do wish you'd behave yourself. Bruce will be sorry he asked us if
we're going to act like wild Indians."

Judith's only reply was a giggle.

Bruce and Elinor were inspecting the rooms on the other side of the
studio, and had passed out of sight behind the second doorway.
Patricia forgot her censorship as the spirit of the explorer rose in
her.

"Let's look at these rooms, Ju," she proposed, with a hand on the heavy
curtain at her right.

Judith caught her hand with a cry of dismay.

"It's not fair, till Elinor comes, too!" she protested hotly. "Wait,
they'll be back. I'll call them."

But Patricia, with a laugh, broke from her and lifted the curtain.

"Elinor didn't wait for us," she began gayly, "and I'm not----"

She broke off with her mouth and eyes opened to their widest, for there
in the chair by the cozy grate sat Mrs. Shelly, while Miss Jinny stood
chuckling her husky chuckle and rubbing her elbows nervously with both
hands.

"They've come to stay!" shouted Judith in wild excitement. "They're
going to be here the whole month! Wasn't it lovely of Bruce to get
them, and won't it be _transcendant_, with all of us together!"

Patricia had for once no words, but she fell on Miss Jinny's willing
neck, and to Judith's great wonder and Mrs. Shelly's delight, she
kissed Miss Jinny with great vigor and despatch.

"You _duck_!" she cried, and, although Judith gasped and paled at the
audacious epithet, Miss Jinny merely chuckled and patted her tenderly
and then passed her on to the smiling, pink-cheeked little old lady in
the rocker.

Such a time as they had all together when Elinor and Bruce joined them!
And such a happy circle as they made around the studio fire, as
twilight came on and the shadows crept out from the vast corners of the
big room, and they made plans for the future and compared notes as to
the past months of separation, with the cheerful flicker leaping and
flaring on their ruddy faces, quite as it had in the old house at
Rockham.

"Do you remember how we planned for this year?" said Patricia, her chin
on her hand and her eyes on the leaping flame. "That was at Christmas
time, only three short months ago, and we've all broken our plans
already. David and Judy are the only ones who have stuck to theirs,
and that is mainly because they can't help themselves. Here am I,
studying at