e you; but it's
right, and we wouldn't be happy not to have you be happy; and we want
you to go ahead and not think of us. We'll manage all right somehow,
and we love you and want to see you happy."

Leslie dropped a great tear on the page when she signed it; but she
took the soft, embroidered sleeve of her nightgown, and dabbled it
dry, so that it didn't blur the writing; and then together they
slipped up-stairs. Leslie went into her aunt's room in the dark, and
in a queer little voice said, "Cloudy, dear, here's a note for you."
Laying it in her hand, Leslie hurried into her own room, shut her door
softly, and hid in the closet so that Julia Cloud would not hear her
sob.

A moment later Julia Cloud came into the hall with a dear, glad ring
in her voice, and called: "Children! Where are you? Come here quick,
you darlings!" and they flocked into her arms like lost ducklings.

"You blessed darlings!" she said, laughing and crying at the same
time. "Did you think I wanted to get married and go away from you
forever? Well, you're all wrong. I'll never do that. You may get
married and go away from me; but I'll never go away from you till you
send me, and I won't ever get married to any one on this earth at any
time! Do you understand? I don't want to get married, _ever_!"

They all went into Julia Cloud's room then, and sat down with her on
her couch, one on either side of her.

"Do you really mean it, Cloudy Jewel?" asked Leslie happily. "You
_don't want_ to get married, not even to that nice Professor
Armitage?"

"Look here! Leslie, you said he had a wart!" put in her brother.

"Now keep still, Allison. He was nice all the time; only I didn't like
him to want our Cloudy. He didn't seem to be quite nice enough for
her. He didn't quite fit her. But if she wanted him----"

"But I don't, Leslie," cried Julia Cloud in distress. "I _never_
did!"

"Are you really true, Cloudy, dear? You're such a dear, unselfish
Cloudy. How shall we ever quite be sure she isn't giving him up just
for us, Allison?"

"Children, listen!" said Julia Cloud, suddenly putting a quieting hand
on each young hand in her lap. "I'll tell you something I never told
to a living soul."

There was that in her voice that thrilled them into silence. It was as
if she suddenly opened the door of her soul and let them look in on
her real self as only God saw her. Their fingers tightened in sympathy
as she went on.

"A long time ago--a great many yea