ing Joel's death was unusually severe and to Persis
seemed well-nigh endless. Though Celia had escaped the attack of
pneumonia anticipated by the doctor, her long hours of exposure,
coupled with the shock, had told on the sensitive child, and it was
months before she seemed her usual blithe, audacious self. Without
question Celia sorely missed her vanished play-fellow, and Persis, who
had postponed her entering school for another year, because she did not
feel that the child was strong enough for the confinement of the school
room, sometimes doubted her own wisdom and was half convinced that the
companionship of other children and the distraction of Celia's thoughts
would have proved sufficient advantage to counterbalance all drawbacks.
The others of Persis' flock with occasional digressions varying in
seriousness from chilblains to croup, maintained as satisfactory a
health average as the mother of a young family can expect.

After the unprecedented severity of the winter the spring came early,
as if nature had repented her harshness and had set herself to make
amends. The sparkle came back to Celia's eyes and the lilt to her
voice. The children who had been models of deportment while the cold
lasted, developed a frisky unruliness, resulting in Malcolm's playing
truant and Algie's coming home with a black eye, trophy of his first
fight. Persis was too thankful over being able to raise every window
in the house and have the sweet spring air flooding in upon her, to
take these enormities very much to heart. Indeed, she was almost too
busy to deal with the culprits as they deserved.

After two years in which she had hardly touched a needle, except for
the children's little garments, Persis was again busy dressmaking. For
she had not forgotten her promise to Diantha Sinclair, and Diantha's
wedding-day was approaching, simultaneously with her eighteenth
birthday. Backed up by Persis, Diantha had declared her intentions and
put in a plea for a church wedding. And when her mother stormed and
threatened, Diantha made her defiance.

"Oh, very well, mama. Only I'm going to be married in church. And if
you won't give me a wedding, Miss Persis will."

In a frenzy Annabel appealed to her husband. Since he felt as keenly
as she in the matter of what he called "Miss Dale's unwarrantable
interference," their mutual indignation was actually proving a bond
between that ill-mated pair. Since Persis had committed the
indi