l for dancing. "Well, he seems so
set on it. He came round to see me about it yesterday morning, without
any warning. And he was full of it! I told you how full he was of it,
didn't I, Caroline? You know how he is when anything takes him."

"Do I know how he is?" murmured Caroline, arching her eyebrows. She
spoke much more broadly than either of the others.

Miss Gailey continued to Hilda, with seriousness: "It's a boarding-house
that he's got control of up there. Something about a bill of sale on the
furniture, I think. But perhaps you know?"

"No, I don't," said Hilda.

"Oh!" said Miss Gailey, relieved. "Well, anyhow he's bent on me taking
charge of this boarding-house. He will have it it's just the thing for
me. But--but I don't know!" She finished weakly.

"Everyone knows you're a splendid housekeeper," said Mrs. Lessways.
"Always were."

"I remember the refreshments at your annual dances," said Hilda,
politely enthusiastic.

"I always attended to those myself," Miss Gailey judicially observed.

"I don't know anything about refreshments at dances," said Mrs.
Lessways, "but I do know what your housekeeping is, Sarah!"

"Well, that's what George says!" Sarah simpered. "He says he never had
such meals and such attention as that year he lived with me."

"I'm sure he's been sorry many a time he ever left you!" exclaimed
Caroline. "Many and many a time!"

"Oh, well.... Relatives, you know...." Sarah murmured vaguely. This was
the only reference to the estrangement. She went on with more vivacity.
"And then Mr. Cannon has always had ideas about boarding-houses and
furnished rooms and so on. He always did say there was lots of money to
be made out of them if only they were managed properly; only they never
are.... He ought to know; he's been a bachelor long enough, and he's
tried enough of them! He says he isn't at all comfortable where he is,"
she added, as it were aside to Caroline. "It's some people who used to
let lodgings to theatre people at Hanbridge."

"Oh! _Them_!" cried Caroline.

The talk meandered into a maze of reminiscences, and Hilda had to
realize her youthfulness and the very inferior range of her experience:
Sarah and Caroline recalled to each other dozens of persons and events,
opening up historical vistas in a manner that filled the young girl with
envious respect, in spite of herself.

"Do you remember Hanbridge Theatre being built, Sarah?" questioned
Caroline. "My grandfather--Hilda's