ery quiet till her emotions were
under control and her sunny self in command again, then she blew a kiss at
Aunt Susan's grave and went to the waiting child and with him rode a merry
race toward Colebyville.

CHAPTER XXVII

TO DO OVER, AND TO DO BETTER,
WAS THE OPPORTUNITY OFFERED

Elizabeth Hunter and her son were still breathing hard from rapid riding
when they drew up in front of the post-office. Elizabeth dropped from the
saddle, tossing her rein to Jack to hold till her return, and went inside.
She was to remember this day and the dingy little window through which
mail was passed. The postmaster was a new man and tossed the letters out
carelessly; therefore he did not see the sudden start the girl gave as she
began to gather them up.

John Hunter's familiar handwriting stared at her from the top envelope.

Elizabeth thought of many things while she waited for the man to run
through the newspapers and magazines. Half an hour ago she had registered
a vow beside Hugh Noland's grave. She was to be tested promptly. When all
was handed out to her, she took the pile--Elizabeth's magazines supplied
the entire community with reading material, and were handed from house to
house till as ragged as the tumble weeds of her native Kansas--and put
them all in the canvas bag at Jack's saddle horn. The letter was unopened.
Something made her wait. Something said that John was asking to return--to
do over, and to do better, was the opportunity offered to her. Her vow
rose up before her; without the fulfillment of that vow there could be no
_better_, that she recognized--and yet----

[Illustration: "JOHN HUNTER'S FAMILIAR HANDWRITING STARED AT
HER FROM THE TOP ENVELOPE"]

All through the long ride home she pondered upon the past and upon the
possibilities of the future. Not till after Jack was safely tucked away in
his bed, not till Hepsie had her supper work done and had gone upstairs
and all the various members of her household had retired for the night,
and she was certain of hours for uninterrupted thinking, did Elizabeth
Hunter bring out the unopened letter and lay it on the table before her.
Even then she renewed her vow before she broke the seal. Was he the old
John, who would fly out impulsively and cover them all with disgrace if
she told him? she asked herself many times. In a cold sweat of terror, she
asked herself also if it were possible to build right in this new
endeavour without telling John of the lov