haven't time now,
and we aren't going to let you work," announced the young man
joyously as he towered above her lying quiescent and weak with
laughter.

"No, nor you aren't going to wash the dishes, either," gurgled the
young girl who danced behind the young man; "Allison and I will wash
them all while you take a nap, and then we're going to ride again."

Julia Cloud, her eyes bright with the joy of all this loving
playfulness, tried to protest; but suddenly into the midst of this
tumult came Mrs. Perkins's raucous assertion:

"H'm-m!"

The two young people whirled around alertly, and Julia Cloud sat up
with a wild attempt to bring her hair into subjection as she
recognized her neighbor. The color flooded into her sweet face, but
she rose with gentle dignity.

"O Mrs. Perkins, we must have been making such a noise that we didn't
hear your knock," she said.

As a matter of fact Mrs. Perkins hadn't knocked. She had been led on
by curiosity until she stood in the open dining-room door, rank
disapproval written on her face.

"It did seem a good bit of noise for a house of mourning," said Mrs.
Perkins dryly.

Julia Cloud's sweet eyes suddenly lost their smile, and she drew
herself up ever so little. There was just a ripple of a quiver of her
gentle lips, and she said quite quietly and with a dignity that could
not help impressing her caller:

"This is not a house of mourning, Mrs. Perkins. I don't think my dear
mother would want us to mourn because she was released from a bed of
pain where she had lain for nine long years, and gone to heaven where
she could be young and free and happy. I'm glad for her, just as glad
as I can be; and I know she would want me to be. But won't you sit
down? Mrs. Perkins, this is my niece and nephew, Leslie and Allison
Cloud from California. I guess you remember them when they were little
children. Or no; you hadn't moved here yet when they were here----"

Mrs. Perkins with pursed lips acknowledged the introduction distantly,
one might almost say insolently, and turned her back on them as if
they had been little children.

"Your sister's been here all morning waiting for you!" she said
accusingly. She gave a significant glance at the unwashed breakfast
dishes, only part of which had been removed to the kitchen. "She
couldn't imagine where you'd gone at that hour an' left your beds and
your dishes."

A wave of indignation swept over Julia Cloud's sweet face.

"So you have been