ing.

"My Lilac Lady's. It's so bare now. The grass was all dead when she fell
asleep last Fall, and only the ugly ground shows now--just the size of
the bed they laid her in. We're going to cover it with the flowers she
liked best, first the wild ones from the woods, and then the garden
blossoms--pansies and forget-me-nots and English daisies. I know where
the prettiest vi'lets grow,--just scads and oodles of 'em--down by the
stone bridge over Bartlett's Creek in Parker; and Hicks is going to help
us transplant them. Only it's too early yet. They aren't even up through
the ground now. But it won't take long, with days like this. It's hard
to study with Spring smelling so d'licious right under your nose.
Doesn't it make you want to get out and jump rope and play marbles and
leap-frog, and--and just jump and skip and _yell_? I can pretty near fly
with gladness!"

Peace turned a radiant face toward the silent woman, and was dismayed to
find tears glistening in the cold gray eyes. "Oh!" she exclaimed in deep
contrition, "what is the matter? Did I--what have I said now to make you
squall?"

"Nothing, dear," smiled the teacher, wiping away the telltale drops with
a hasty whisk of her handkerchief. "I--I just saw in my mind a picture
of the little old cottage where I used to live, and it made me homesick,
I think. My head aches, too,--"

"Then you mustn't let me keep you here," cried the child, forgetting
that she had been bidden to remain after school as a punishment for
inattention. "You better go right home, drink a cup of good, hot tea,
and go to bed. That'll make you feel all right by morning, I know,
'cause that's the way we fix Grandpa up when his head bothers. Here's
your hat and coat. Just breathe in lots of air, too. It's pretty muddy
under foot to walk very far, but the fresh air will do you good."

Before the woman could realize how it happened, Peace had coaxed her
into her wraps, slipped on her own, and hand in hand with the astounded
teacher was walking demurely down the muddy street, still chattering
gayly. At the corner, faithful Allee awaited the coming of her
unfortunate sister, and Peace, seeing the yellow curls bobbing under the
blue stocking cap, gave the teacher's hand a parting squeeze, waved a
smiling good-bye, and skipped off beside the younger child as if there
were no such a thing as being kept in after school.

"O, Allee," Miss Phelps heard her say as they pelted down the avenue,
"do you s'