girl opened
wide the shutters, letting the sunlight stream into the room.

"Oh, Cousin Ann, what wonderful hair you have! Why it is like the
driven snow and as soft as silk! Please, please let me arrange it for
you sometimes. I don't know whether you ought to wear it piled on your
head in coils and puffs, like a French beauty of way back yonder, or
parted in the middle and waved on each side and drawn back into a
loose knot."

"Oh, child, you can't think gray hair pretty."

"Why, it is the loveliest thing in the world. If I had hair like yours
I'd never cover it up. You will let me try to dress it won't you? I
just love to touch it," and Judith fondled one of the silvered plats.

"Yes," faltered the old lady. How long had it been since anyone but
old Billy had complimented her? And when had anyone said her hair
might be soft to the touch? Wigs do not last forever and Miss Ann had
begun to realize that before many weeks a new one would be imperative.
A new wig meant even greater scrimping than usual for Billy and his
mistress. Funds must be very carefully handled when such an outlay
became necessary. It was next in importance to a new horse, and
greater than renewing a wheel on the coach. She had never dreamed that
she might get along without a wig. She had begun wearing a wig many
years ago, when her hair turned gray in spots. She had always
considered dyed hair rather vulgar and so had resorted to a wig and,
true to her character for keeping up a custom, she had never discarded
the wig, although her hair had long since turned snow-white from root
to end.

"Reform number two," Judith said to herself as she viewed her
handiwork on Cousin Ann's hair. It was decided to part it in the
middle and wave it on the sides and sweetly the old lady's face was
framed in the soft, silver locks.

"You look different from yourself, but lovely," cried Judith. "You
make me think of a young person trying to look old."

She might have added: "Instead of an old person trying to look young,"
but she did not.

CHAPTER XXIII

The Lost Is Found

Two days passed and still the Bucknor clan was in ignorance of the
whereabouts of Cousin Ann. It had so happened that Judith had been
busy at home and had not gone into Ryeville for several days and
nobody had called at her home, although since the famous debut party
the Bucks had many more visitors than formerly.

Cousin Ann could not have concealed herself from the world more
e