ing to do with the books? Do
you want any of them to go with you, or are they to be packed away?"

"No, I won't take any of those books. They'll need to be dusted and
put in boxes. There are a lot of boxes in the cellar, and there's a
pile of papers to use for lining the boxes. But you'll have your hands
full with the pictures, I think. Let the books go till to-morrow."

Allison went whistling up-stairs, and began taking down the pictures;
but anybody could see by the set of his shoulders that he meant to get
the books out of the way too before noon.

"Now, what can I do?" said Leslie, whirling around from wiping the
last cup and plate they had used. "There's one more bureau besides
yours. Does it need emptying out?"

"No, dear. That has your grandmother's things in it, and is in perfect
order. She had me fix up the things several months ago. Everything is
tied up and labelled. I don't think we need to disturb it. The men can
move it up as it is. But we need to get the rest of the bed-clothes
out on the line for an airing before I pack them away in the chest
up-stairs. You might do that."

So Leslie went back and forth, carrying blankets and quilts, and
hanging them on the line, till Mrs. Perkins had to come over to see
what was going on. She came with a cup in her hand to ask for some
baking-powder, and Julia Cloud gave her the whole box.

"No, you needn't return it," she said, smiling. "I shall not need it.
I've rented the house, and am going away for a while." Mrs. Perkins
was so astonished that she actually went home without finding out
where Julia Cloud was going, and had to come back to see whether there
was anything she could do to help, in order to get a chance to ask.

It was really quite astonishing what a lot could be done in three
hours. When twelve o'clock came, the two children descended upon their
aunt with insistence that she wash her hands and put on her hat. The
rooms had assumed that cleared-up, ready look that rests the tired
worker just to look around and see what has been accomplished. With a
conviction that she was being quite a child to run away this way when
there was still a lot to be done, but with an overwhelming desire to
yield to the pressure, Julia Cloud surrendered.

When she came down-stairs five minutes later in her neat black suit
and small black hat with the mourning veil about it that Ellen had
insisted upon for the funeral, the car was already at the door, and
she felt almo