ea-pigs, the ducks, the vegetables, the caged fox,
the "boys" generally, Roosy's ear, Consuelo Vorse's lame foot? Did Mrs.
Tolley know that she had made a deep impression on the old fellow who
drove the stage? "Oh, look at her blush, Min! Well, really!"

She came, delightfully refreshed by toilet waters and crisp linen, to
take a deep rocker opposite Paul, and leaned luxuriously back, showing
very trim feet shod in white.

"Admit that you've fallen in love with Kirkwood, Mr. Forster," said she.

"I can't admit anything of the sort," said Paul, firmly, but smiling
because she was so very good to look at. He had to admit that he had
never seen handsomer dark eyes, nor a more tender, more expressive and
characterful mouth than the one that smiled so readily and showed so
even a line of big teeth.

"Oh, you will!" she assured him easily. "There's no place like
Kirkwood, is there, Alan?" she said to her brother, as he came out. He
smiled.

"We don't think there is, Forster. My sister's been crazy about the
place since we got here--that's eighteen months ago; and I'm crazy
about it myself now!"

"Wait until you've slept out on the porch for a while," said Miss
Chisholm, "and wait until you've got used to a plunge in the pool
before breakfast every morning. Alan, you must take him down to the
pool to-morrow, and I'll listen for his shrieks. Where are you going
now--the power-house? No, thank you, I won't go. I'm going out to find
something special to cook you for your suppers."

The something special was extremely delicious; Paul had a vague
impression that there was fried chicken in it, and mushrooms, and
cream, and sherry. Miss Chisholm served it from a handsome little
copper blazer, and also brewed them her own particular tea, in a Canton
tea-pot. Paul found it much pleasanter at this end of the table. To his
surprise, no one resented this marked favoritism--Mrs. Tolley observing
contentedly that her days of messing for men were over, and Mrs. Vorse
remarking that she'd "orghter reely git out her chafing-dish and do
some cooking" herself.

Paul found that Miss Chisholm possessed a leisurely gift of fun; she
was droll, whether she quite meant to be or not. Everybody laughed.
Mrs. Tolley became tearful with mirth.

"Now, this is the nicest part of the day," said Patricia, when they
three had carried their coffee out to the porch and were seated. "Did
you ever watch the twilight come, sitting here, Mr. Forster?"