eading her into green
pastures beside quiet waters; but there were things He was expecting
of her, and was she going to be able to fulfil them? These two young
souls were hers to guide. Would she have the grace to guide them into
the knowledge of God in Christ? And then she lay praying for strength
for this great work until the peace of God's sleep dropped down upon
her.

CHAPTER IX

The next two days were busy ones. There were a great many last little
things to be done, and Julia Cloud would have worked herself out, had
not the children interfered and carried her off for a ride every
little while. The intervening Sabbath was spent at Ellen Robinson's.
The handsome hand-bag and wallet served to keep Ellen from being very
disagreeable. In fact, at the last, when she began to realize that
Julia was really going away, and would not be down at the old house
any more for her to burden and torment, she really revealed a gleam of
affection for her, and quite worried poor Julia with thinking that
perhaps, after all, she ought not to go away so far from her only
sister. When Ellen sat down on the bare stairs in the old hall Monday
morning, and gave vent to a real sob at parting, Julia had a swift
vision of her little sister years ago sitting on that same stair
weeping from a fall, and herself comforting her; and she put her arms
around Ellen, and kissed her for the first time in many reticent
years.

But at last they were off, having handed over the keys to the new
tenant, and Julia Cloud leaned back on the luxurious cushions and
laughed. Not from mirth, for there were tears in her eyes; and not
from nervousness, for she was never subject to hysteria; but just from
sheer excitement and joy to think that she was really going out in the
world at last to see things and live a life of her own.

The two young people felt it, and laughed with her, until the
blackbirds, swirling in a rustling chorus overhead on their way south,
seemed to be joining in, and a little squirrel whisked across the road
and sat up inquiringly on a log framed in scarlet leaves.

They went straight to the city, for Mr. Luddington had promised to
meet them there and confer with them further about their plans. But,
when they reached the hotel, they found only a telegram from him
saying that business had held him longer than he expected and that he
should have to arrange to meet them farther along in their journey. He
suggested three colleges, eith