d flying clouds! She felt like a flying cloud herself
as she sped along in the great blue car with the chatter of the
children in her ears and the silvery laughter of Leslie by her side.
How could she help smiling and letting her cheeks grow pink and her
eyes grow bright? Too soon after a funeral? The thought did come to
her. But she knew by the thrill of her heart that her mother in heaven
was gladder now than she had been for years of her bedridden life on
earth, and, if she could look down to see, would no doubt be happy
that some joy was coming to her hard-worked daughter at last. Julia
would just enjoy this day and this delight to the full while it
lasted. If it was not meant to last longer than the day, at least she
would have this wonderful ride to remember always, this bird-like
motion as if she were floating through a panorama! Not a thought of
Ellen poking through her half-cleared house, finding unswept hearth
and unmade beds and unwashed dishes, came to trouble her joy. It was
as if the childhood of her life, long held in abeyance, had come back
to her, and would not be denied.

Ellen and Mrs. Perkins in their inspection of the house came at last
to the upper story and the guests' room strewn with brushes bearing
silver monograms and elaborate appointments of travel that kept them
guessing their use and exclaiming in wonder and horror that any one
would spend so much on little details. Leslie's charming silk negligee
and her frilly little nightgown with its lace and floating ribbons
came in for a large amount of contempt, and it was some time before
the good ladies arrived at Julia Cloud's room and found the open
telegram on her bureau that gave the key to the mystery of the two
visitors.

"H'm!" said Ellen. "So that's it! Well, I thought she had some bee in
her bonnet. She must have written to them or they never would have
come. Now, I suppose she means to keep them all winter, perhaps, and
feed them, and baby them up; and, when she has spent all she has,
she'll come back on us. Well, she'll find out she's much mistaken;
and, when she gets back, I'll just tell her plainly that she can
bundle up her company and send them home and come out to us now,
to-day or to-morrow, or the offer is withdrawn, and she needn't think
she can fall back on Herbert, either, when she's spent everything.
Herbert is not a man to be put upon."

"I should say not!" said Mrs. Perkins sympathetically, looking over
her friend's sho