as singing. She would have laughed
at anything to-day.

Four days later, at four o'clock in the afternoon, Doctor Studdiford
called at The Alexander, and Miss Page joined him, in street attire, at
once. They walked away to the car together, in a street suddenly flooded
with golden sunshine.

"Did you tell your mother I was coming, dear?"

"Oh, Jim, of course! I never would dare take them unawares!"

"And did you tell her that you were going to be my adored and beautiful
little wife in a few months?"

"In a few months--hear the man! In a few years! No, but I gave them to
understand that you were my 'friend.' I didn't mention that you are a
multi-millionaire and a genius on leg bones--"

"Julia, my poor girl, if you think you are marrying a multi-millionaire,
disabuse your mind, dear child! Aren't women mercenary, though! Here I
thought I--No, but seriously, darling, why shouldn't your mother have
the satisfaction of knowing that your future is pretty safe?"

"Well, that's hard to say, Jim. But I think you will like her better if
she takes it for granted that you are just--well, say just the sort of
doctor we might have called in to the settlement house, establishing a
practice, but quite able to marry. I feel," said Julia, finding her
words with a little difficulty, "that my mother might hurt my
feelings--by doubting my motives, otherwise--and if she hurt my
feelings she would anger you, wouldn't she?"

"She certainly would!" Jim smiled, but the look he gave his plucky
little companion was far removed from mirth.

"And I do dread this call," Julia said nervously. "I came down here
yesterday, just to say we were coming, and it all struck me as
being--However, there's the house, and you'll soon see for yourself!"

The house itself was something of a shock to Jim, but if Julia guessed
it, he gave her no evidence of his feeling, and was presently taken into
the stifling parlour, and introduced to Julia's mother, a little gray
now, but hard lipped and bright eyed as ever, and to Mrs. Cox, who had
been widowed for some years, and was a genial, toothless, talkative old
woman, much increased in her own esteem and her children's as the actual
owner of the old house.

"Mother, we want some air in here!" Julia said, going to a window.

"Julia's a great girl for fresh air," said Emeline. "Sit down, Doctor,
and don't mind Ma!" Mrs. Cox, perhaps slightly self-conscious, was
wandering about the room picking threads from t