friendly a manner that no one
suspected his motives save the person most concerned. She knew only too
well that a wall of division had suddenly risen between them, but though
her heart ached she carried her proud little head more erect than ever,
and was so very, very lively and pleasant that Jack in his turn was
deceived, and believed that she was relieved by his absence. When they
met, as meet they did from time to time, they laughed and joked, and
teased each other about little family jokes, and Bridgie listened
delightedly, and told herself that it did Jack all the good in the world
to meet Sylvia, for he was growing so much quieter, and seemed so
worried over that horrid old business. Miss Munns, however, had the
same complaint to make about her niece, and delivered herself of many
homilies on the subject.

"Extremes," she said, "extremes, my dear, ought always to be avoided.
To be constantly running from one extreme to another shows an unbalanced
character. A medium path is the wisest which one can choose, and one
should show neither undue elation nor foundless depression at the events
of life. I remember a proverb which we used to quote as children:
`Laugh in the morning, cry before night!'--and there is a great deal of
truth in it, too. High spirits are bound to be brought low before very
long."

"Well, I think it's a horrid proverb and a very wicked one into the
bargain!" cried Sylvia hotly. "It sounds as if God disliked seeing one
happy, and I believe He loves it and means it, and tries to teach us
that it is a duty! He made the world as bright as He could for us to
live in, with the sunshine and the flowers, and He made all the little
animals skip and bound, and play games among themselves, so it stands to
reason that He expects men and women to be happy too, especially young
ones."

"Exactly! Precisely! Just what I say! I was just pointing out to you,
my love, that it is over an hour since you made a remark, and that such
depression of spirits was very trying to me as your companion," cried
Miss Munns, with an air of triumph. "After the long period of anxiety
through which I have passed, I think I am entitled to expect some
cheering society."

"But then, you see, I might cry before evening!" retorted Sylvia pertly,
and had the satisfaction of feeling that she had been rude to her
elders, and put herself hopelessly in the wrong, as Miss Munns took up
her stocking-bag and began to darn, droop