nrelieved ugliness of street and
people, of shop and vehicle, of treeless sidewalks, brick pavement,
car rails, hydrants, and rusty gasoline pumps.

Here was a people ignorant of civic pride, knowing no necessity for
beauty, having no standards, no aspirations, conscious of nothing but
the grosser material needs.

The hopelessness of this American town--and there were thousands like
it--its architectural squalor, its animal unconsciousness, shocked her
after four years in lands where colour, symmetry and good taste are
indigenous and beauty as necessary as bread.

And the girl had been born here, too; had known no other home except
when at boarding school or on shopping trips to New York.

Painfully depressed, she descended at the station, where she climbed
into one of the familiar omnibuses and gave her luggage check to the
lively young driver.

Several drummers also got in, and finally a farmer whom she recognised
but who had evidently forgotten her.

The driver, a talkative young man whom she remembered as an obnoxious
boy who delivered newspapers, came from the express office with her
trunk, flung it on top of the bus, gossiped with several station
idlers, then leisurely mounted his seat and gathered up the reins.

Rattling along the main street she became aware of changes--a brand
new yellow brick clothing store--a dreadful Quick Lunch--a moving
picture theatre--other monstrosities. And she saw familiar faces on
the street.

The drummers got out with their sample cases at the Bolton House--Charles
H. Bolton, proprietor. The farmer descended at the "Par Excellence
Market," where, as he informed the driver, he expected to dispose of a
bull calf which he had finally decided "to veal."

"Which way, ma'am?" inquired the driver, looking in at her through the
door and chewing gum very fast.

"To Miss Dumont's on Shadow Street."

"Oh!..." Then, suddenly he knew her. "Say, wasn't you her niece?" he
demanded.

"I _am_ Miss Dumont's niece," replied Palla, smiling.

"Sure! I didn't reckonise you. Used to leave the _Star_ on your
doorstep! Been away, ain't you? Home looks kinda good to you, even if
it's kinda lonesome--" He checked himself as though recollecting
something else. "Sure! You been over in Rooshia livin' with the Queen!
There was a piece in the _Star_ about it. Gee!" he added affably.
"That was pretty soft! Some life, I bet!"

And he grinned a genial grin and climbed into his seat, chewing
rapidly