nds were almost gone.

She stood with the telegram in her hand, watching the boy go whistling
back to his wheel and riding off with a careless whirl out into the
evening. His whistle lingered far behind, and her ears strained to
hear it. Now if a whistle like that were coming home to her! Some one
who would be glad to see her and want something she could do for him!
Why, even little snub-nosed, impudent Johnny Knox would be a comfort
if he were all her own. Her arms suddenly felt empty and her hands
idle because there was nothing left for her to do. Involuntarily she
stretched them out to the gray dusk with a wistful motion. Then she
turned, and went back to the window to read her telegram.

"DEAR CLOUDY JEWEL: Leslie and I are on our way East for a visit,
and will stop over Wednesday night to see you. Please make us some
caraway cookies if not too much trouble.

"Your loving nephew,
"ALLISON CLOUD."

A glad smile crept into Julia Cloud's lonely eyes. Leslie and Allison
were her California brother's children, who had spent three happy
months with her when they were five and seven while their father and
mother went abroad. "Cloudy Jewel" was the pet name they had made up
for her. That was twelve long years ago, and they had not forgotten!
They were coming to see her, and wanted some caraway cookies! A glad
light leaped into her face, and she lifted her eyes to the gray
distance. Lo! the leaden clouds had broken and a streak of pale
golden-rose was glowing through the bars of gray.

CHAPTER II

Leslie and Allison!

Julia Cloud stood gazing out into the west, while the whole sky
lightened and sank away into dusk with a burning ruby on its breast.
The gloom of her spirit glowed into brightness, and joy flooded her
soul.

Leslie and Allison! What round little warm bodies they had, and what
delicate, refined faces! They had not seemed like Ellen's blowsy,
obstreperous youngsters, practical and grasping to the last extreme
after the model of their father. They had starry eyes and hair like
tangled sunbeams. Their laughter rippled like brooks in summer, and
their hands were like bands that bound the heart. Cookies and stories
and long walks and picnics! Those had made up the beautiful days that
they spent with her, roaming the woods and meadows, picking dandelions
and violets, and playing fairy stories. It had b