ain at his wife, and was conscious of a
subtle change in the atmosphere of the house. The exquisite order and
cleanliness reminded him of the housekeeping he had been accustomed to,
when he and Sarah lived in the little Millville cottage; and on Sarah's
face there was an expression that her husband had never before seen
there, the look of a soul that is girding itself for new
responsibilities and new duties. David did not understand the look, but
he observed that Sarah no longer crept about the house like an awkward,
frightened guest; her step and bearing were that of the mistress, and he
had a thrill of exultant pride a few moments later, when he heard her
address Nelly in a tone of calm command. He also saw and approved the
rose at her belt, but he did not know that the flower was a symbol of
all the changes that had been wrought during his absence.

There was no self-consciousness in the manner of either when they sat
down at the flower-decked table. David had seen persons of importance
and transacted business of importance; he was the sort of husband who
makes his wife a silent partner in all his business affairs, and the two
talked at ease, forgetting the hated presence of a servant. David looked
across the roses at his wife's face, serene and happy as it used to be
in the old days, and again he silently blessed the doctor and his magic
prescription.

"How do you feel now, Sarah?" he asked, as they seated themselves in the
parlor, and Sarah took up her basket of crocheting. "You know the
doctor said I must let him know how you got along."

"I am perfectly well," said Sarah emphatically, "and what's more, I
intend to stay well."

David laughed aloud with pleasure. "I'll tell the doctor how well his
prescription worked. That cottage is the best investment I ever made."

"Even if we never went back to it," said Sarah thoughtfully, "it would
make me happy just to know it's there and it's ours."

"That reminds me," said David, with a sudden change of manner. "Hale and
Davis say they can sell this house for me any day."

"Hale and Davis?" inquired Sarah with a look of surprise.

"Real estate men," explained David.

"What right have they to sell my house?" asked Sarah almost angrily.

David looked embarrassed. "Why, Sarah, I told them you were
dissatisfied; you know you said--"

"Yes, I know I did," owned Sarah hastily. Her face crimsoned with an
embarrassment greater than David's. During his absence she had b