w, when
we had my mother out here--she was just as absorbed as the rest of us!"
She put a friendly head over the wall. "But I don't see what you've got
to complain of, Mrs. Calhoun," said she, "especially as you're just
beginning! I see your geraniums all took hold!"

"Every one but the white Lady Washington," the woman said. "How is your
mother?" she added.

"Pretty comfortable, thank you!" said the other. "I imagine she may have
had a restless night, for both she and my aunt seem to be asleep, so I'm
getting breakfast for my cousins and uncle myself! And I'm not supposed
to be out here at all!" she added, with a farewell laugh and nod, as she
turned back to the steps. "But I just couldn't resist the garden!"

She picked up the milk bottles and reentered the kitchen just as a
trimly dressed young woman came into it from the hall. The newcomer was
tall, and if not quite pretty was at least a fresh-looking,
pleasant-faced girl. She wore a tailor-made skirt and white shirt waist,
and a round hat covered with flowers, and laid her jacket over the back
of a chair.

"Julie, where's Ma?" said she, in surprise. "Have you been doing
everything?"

"Not everything!" Julia smiled. "But Aunt May must have overslept
herself; there hasn't been a sound from their room this morning. Your
suit looks lovely," she added admiringly.

"Oh, do you think so?" asked the younger woman eagerly. She interrupted
her task of putting plates and cups on the table, to come close and turn
toward Julia the back of her head for inspection. "Like it?" asked she.

Julia seriously inspected the rhinestone comb that glittered there.

"Why, I don't utterly dislike it," she said, in her pleasant voice.

"But you don't think it's in good taste, Julie?"

"Well no, not exactly. Not for the office, anyway."

"All right, then--that settles it!" the young woman assured her. "I'll
run upstairs after breakfast and change. We had a glorious time last
night!" she went on, putting her head on one side to give the table a
critical glance. "I'll tell you about it. This has boiled up, hasn't
it--it can be settled?"

"Yes, settle it." said Julia, buttering toast, "and tell me!"

But at this moment the hall door opened again, and a little girl of four
and a half appeared in the doorway. She was so lovely a vision, with her
trailing wrapper and white nightgown bunched up to be out of her way,
curls tumbled about her face, and eyes big with reproach, that both
w