ttle household was settled, the
sooner he might leave them.

They drove at once, of course, to the house, Allison and Leslie
talking fast and eagerly every minute of the way, their eyes bright
and their faces beautiful with enthusiasm; and Mr. Luddington could
only sit and listen, and smile over their heads at Julia Cloud, who
was smiling also, and who in her new silvery garments looked to him
all the more a lady and fit to play mother to his wards.

"Well, now, now, now!" said Guardy Lud after they had gone carefully
over every room and were coming down-stairs again. "This is great!
This certainly is great. I couldn't have had it better if I'd made it
to order, could I? And I certainly wish you were settled here, and I
could stay long enough to take breakfast with you and enjoy some more
of your excellent buckwheat cakes, Miss Cloud." He turned with a
gallant bow to Julia. "I hope you'll teach my little girl here to bake
them just like that, so she can make me some when she comes back to
California to visit us again."

They rode him around the town, through the college grounds, and then
back to the inn for dinner. That evening they spent in discussion and
business plans for the winter. The next morning they took Mr.
Luddington up to the college, where he made final arrangements for the
young people to be entered as students, and afterwards drove to the
city. Mr. Luddington had one or two friends there to whom he wished to
introduce them, that they might have some one near at hand to call
upon in a time of need. He also took them all to a bank, and arranged
their bank accounts so that they might draw what they needed at any
time. After lunch he went with them to several of the largest stores,
and opened a charge account for them. Then, with a warm hand-shake for
Julia Cloud and an emotional good-by for the young people, he left
them to rush for his train.

"We might stay in town to-night, and be ready to shop early in the
morning," proposed Leslie.

"No," said Allison decidedly. "Cloudy looks worn to a frazzle, and I'm
sick to death of the city. Let's beat it back to where they have good
air. We can go right to bed after dinner, and get up good and early,
and be here as soon as the stores are open. They don't open till nine
o'clock. I saw the signs on the doors everywhere."

So back they went for a good night's rest, and were up and at it early
in the morning, scarcely noticing the way they rode, so interested
w