nt."

"Melvina said she was afraid you did not have a comfortable night."

The blue eyes flashed a suspicious glance of inquiry over the questioner's
countenance, then closed wearily.

"I didn't," was all she said.

"I am sorry to hear that."

The regret was uttered with gentle sincerity. In an existence cloudless as
her own, magnanimousness required little effort. Moreover, Lucy was
forgiving by nature; and had she not been, the helplessness and
friendlessness of the lonely soul before her would have presented a
powerful plea for pity.

Ellen did not respond to the words.

"What was the trouble?" went on Lucy, after waiting a suitable length of
time and sensing that no answer was to be forthcoming. "Were you in
pain?"

At the interrogation a flame of hatred leaped into the woman's face,
flickered there, and then died down, leaving it cold and hard as marble.

"I got to thinkin'," she returned briefly.

"I hope what I said did not worry you, Aunt Ellen."

"It did last night; but it don't now," responded Ellen, with a
disagreeable laugh.

"That's good. I should be sorry to have been the cause of your lying here
fretting."

"I ain't doin' no frettin' now," repeated Ellen. Then, changing a subject
both seemed to regard as a delicate one, she asked in a more natural tone:
"What were you plannin' to do this mornin'?"

"Oh, just the regular things," Lucy said cordially, glad to be once more
on safer ground. "Why?"

"'Cause I'm possessed of a hankerin' for some raspberries," said Ellen. "I
like 'em, an' I ain't had any for a long time. Somehow it seems as if
they'd taste awful good."

Lucy's face lighted.

"Why, I'd be glad to try and get some for you, Aunt Ellen," she cried.
"You know I'd love to get anything you wanted if I could. I'm so pleased
that you mentioned it."

Ellen twisted her head on the pillow and began outlining the figures on
the counterpane with her long, misshapen finger.

"I s'pose you couldn't find enough for a shortcake, could you?" she
ventured skeptically.

"I don't know but I could. At least, I could try. Of course it's late in
the season for them."

The lean finger continued to follow the flowered design of the
bedcovering.

"There used to be some late ones up at the top of Pine Ridge," remarked
the invalid casually. "That would be quite a walk though, an' likely
further than you'd care to go."

"No, indeed it wouldn't!"

There was fervor in the protest. Already visio