and he was the first grandchild, and we hadn't seen your father for
over two years, nor ever seen his young wife before; so it was a great
event. It was a beautiful bright October day, and I had the pleasure
of making the dress you wore, Allison, every stitch by hand,
hemstitching and embroidery and all. And right in the midst of the
ceremony you looked over your father's shoulder, and saw me sitting in
the front seat, and smiled the sweetest smile! Then you jumped up and
down in your father's arms, and spatted your little pink hands
together, and called out 'Ah-_Jah_!' That's what you used to call me
then, and everybody all over the church smiled. How could they help
it?"

"Gee! I must 'a' been some kid!" said Allison, slipping down into a
comfortable position among the pillows. "Say, Cloudy, I knew a good
thing when I saw it even then, didn't I?"

"You know, Allison, that ceremony wasn't just all on your father's and
mother's part; it entailed some responsibility upon you. It was part
of your heritage, and you've no right to waste it any more than if it
were gold or bank stock or houses and lands. It was your title to a
heavenly sonship, and it gave God the right to call upon you to do
whatever He wants you to do. It's between you and God now, and you'll
have to settle it yourself. It's not anything I could settle for you
either way, much as I might want it, because it is you who must answer
God, and you must answer Him from the heart either way; so nobody else
has anything to do with it."

"Oh, good-_night_! Cloudy, you certainly can put things in an awkward
way. Oh, hang it! Now this whole evening's spoiled. I wish I hadn't
gone to the front door at all. I wish I'd turned out the lights and
let 'em knock. And there was that story you were going to read, and
now it's too late!"

"Why, no; it's not too late at all," said Julia Cloud, consulting her
little watch in the firelight. "It's only quarter to nine, and I'm
sure we can indulge ourselves a little to-night, and finish the story
before we go to bed. Turn the light on, and get the magazine."

With an air of finality Julia Cloud put aside the debated question,
and settled herself in the big willow chair by the lamp with her book.
Leslie went back to her chair by the fire, and Allison flung himself
down on the couch with a pillow half over his eyes; but anybody
watching closely would have seen that his eyes were wide open and he
was studying the calm, quiet p