His moving-picture conceit next placed
M'ri, dressed in white, with touches of blue, on the west porch. He
had decided that in the Long Ago Days she had been wont to wear blue,
which he imagined to be the Judge's favorite color. Then he caused the
unimpressionable Judge to tie his horse to the hitching post at the
side of the road and walk between the hedges of sweet peas that
bordered the path. Their pink and white sweetness was the trumpet
call sounding over the grave of the love of his youth. (David had read
such a passage in a book at Miss Rhody's and thought it very fine and
applicable.) His active fancy took Martin Thorne around the house to
the west porch. The white figure arose, and in the purple-misted
twilight he saw the touches of blue, and his heart lighted.

"Marie!"

The old name, the name he had given her in his love-making days, came
to his lips. (David couldn't make M'ri fit in with the settings of his
story, so he re-christened her.) She came forward with outstretched
hand and a gentle manner, but at the look in his eyes as he uttered
the old name, with the caressing accent on the first syllable, she
understood. A deep sunrise color flooded her face and neck.

"Martin!" she whispered as she came to him.

David threw back his head and shut his eyes in ecstatic bliss. He was
rudely roused from his romantic weaving by the sound of Barnabas'
chuckle as they came to the east porch.

"You must a washed every one of Larimy's winders!"

"Yes," replied Janey, "and she mopped his floors, washed and
clean-papered the shelves, and wanted to scrub the old gray horse."

"Pennyroyal," exclaimed Barnabas gravely, "I wonder you ain't
waterlogged!"

"Pennyroyal'd rather be clean than be President," averred David.

"Where's M'ri?" demanded Pennyroyal, ignoring these thrusts.

"On the west porch, entertaining company," remarked Barnabas.

"Who?"

Pennyroyal never used a superfluous word. Joe Forbes said she talked
like telegrams.

Barnabas removed his pipe from his mouth, and paused to give his words
greater dramatic force.

"Mart Thorne!"

The effect was satisfactory.

Pennyroyal stood as if petrified for a moment. Than she expressed her
feelings.

"Hallelujah!"

Her tone made the exclamation as impressive as a benediction.

M'ri visited the bedside of each of her charges that night. Jud and
Janey were in the land of dreams, but David was awake, expecting her
coming. There was a new tenderness