piled. She had taken
care of her complexion, and her face had grown fuller during the winter.
She might have been any one's mother with pride, and she was perfectly
at ease.

Polly instantly went to her and held up her face to be kissed. Mrs.
Comstock's eyes twinkled and she made the greeting hearty.

The drink was compounded of the juices of oranges and berries from the
garden. It was cool enough to frost glasses and pitcher and delicious to
dusty tired travellers. Soon the pitcher was empty, and Elnora picked
it up and went to refill it. While she was gone Henderson asked Philip
about some trouble he was having with his car. They went to the woods
and began a minute examination to find a defect which did not exist.
Polly and Levering were having an animated conversation with Mrs.
Comstock. Henderson saw Edith arise, follow the garden path next the
woods and stand waiting under the willow which Elnora would pass on her
return. It was for that meeting he had made the trip. He got down on the
ground, tore up the car, worked, asked for help, and kept Philip busy
screwing bolts and applying the oil can. All the time Henderson kept an
eye on Edith and Elnora under the willow. But he took pains to lay the
work he asked Philip to do where that scene would be out of his sight.
When Elnora came around the corner with the pitcher, she found herself
facing Edith Carr.

"I want a minute with you," said Miss Carr.

"Very well," replied Elnora, walking on.

"Set the pitcher on the bench there," commanded Edith Carr, as if
speaking to a servant.

"I prefer not to offer my visitors a warm drink," said Elnora. "I'll
come back if you really wish to speak with me."

"I came solely for that," said Edith Carr.

"It would be a pity to travel so far in this dust and heat for nothing.
I'll only be gone a second."

Elnora placed the pitcher before her mother. "Please serve this," she
said. "Miss Carr wishes to speak with me."

"Don't you pay the least attention to anything she says," cried Polly.
"Tom and I didn't come here because we wanted to. We only came to
checkmate her. I hoped I'd get the opportunity to say a word to you, and
now she has given it to me. I just want to tell you that she threw Phil
over in perfectly horrid way. She hasn't any right to lay the ghost of a
claim to him, has she, Tom?"

"Nary a claim," said Tom Levering earnestly. "Why, even you, Polly,
couldn't serve me as she did Phil, and ever get me back aga