e--you would cherish no malice against any who acted
as the ah--instigators--of your original journey here?"

A sudden question arose in Mrs. Davidson's mind as to whether or not
any of Mary Gage's associates and neighbors ever had told her all the
story of that original endeavor, whose object was matrimony. Whereupon
she concluded now to let sleeping dogs lie, and not to urge the matter.
Nor was Mary herself the more disposed at the moment to speak of the
past. She only looked out across the valley, as was her custom.

They passed on to some talk of the peace news, and demobilization plans
for the men still abroad, for the visitors had brought the latest paper
with them.

"Our men!" exclaimed Mary Gage as she read the headlines. "They're
fine. They are always fine, everywhere, all of them. I'd have liked
to see them in the great parades, in the cities."

"'Twould be a gr-r-r-and sight," said Mrs. Davidson, "for women who
have had no oppor-r-r-tunity!"

"Ah? Women who haven't had what women wish?" said Mary Gage, a strange
confidence in her own tones. "Don't you suppose God knows the way?
Why be trying to change----" The word did not come at first.

"The plan?" suggested Mrs. Davidson.

"The plan!" said Mary.

"I must be going before long," said Karen Jensen, having finished her
saucer of berries, and caring little for philosophizing. "I've got to
milk seven cows yet."

"I will come often, if I may, Mrs. Gage, now that I am again located in
this valley," said her companion, rising also.

"Oh, won't you, please!" said Mary Gage. "And--won't you do me a
little favor now? I have a letter--I was just going up to the corner
to put it in the box. If you're going that way, will you drop it in
for me?"

Karen Jensen hesitated, looking across at the shortcut across the
fields, but Mrs. Davidson, not being well organized for barbed wire
entanglements, offered for the errand, which would take her around by
the road.

"Surely, I shall be most happy," said she. "I will walk around by the
box and drop your letter very gladly. No, no, don't mind coming. It's
nothing--I always go home that way."

But Sarah Davidson after all was the school teacher when she had passed
beyond the gate in the willow lane. She felt that in her were
represented all the privileges of what priesthood might be claimed in
this valley. She felt that her judgment was large enough to be
infallible, since she so long had been arbit