were thrown wide open, and Alec bowed the party in to the bridal
repast. It, too, was as simple as all that had gone before, save for the
towering cake in the centre.

"We just had to have that a mammoth and a gorgeous affair," explained
Lloyd, "to send around to all Betty's admiring friends and old pupils
who could not be asked to the ceremony. We'll be busy for a week sending
off the little boxes."

"No," she replied later, to Alex Shelby, "Betty wouldn't have any of
the usual charms and frills, like 'something borrowed, something blue.'
She says she's lost faith in them since so many of them that she's known
of at different weddings have failed to come true. Besides, everybody
heah has their fate already settled. We all know about yoah engagement
to Gay, even if it hasn't been announced. You'll be the next to go. You
don't need a ring in a cake, or the bride's bouquet thrown over the
bannistah to tell you _that_."

Later, when it was time to start to the station, and Betty had joined
them again in her travelling dress, the old Colonel looked out to see
what was delaying the carriage.

"It's not coming at all, grandfathah deah," explained Lloyd. "The
baggage has gone on ahead and Betty wants to walk. She said she'd rathah
go that way, just as if she were only saying good night to you and
mothah and Papa Jack, and would be back in a little while. She doesn't
want it to seem like a long good-bye. She wants her last look at you all
to be heah at home."

But, in spite of everybody's efforts to make it appear that this was
just a casual going away, only a temporary separation, Betty found the
parting almost more than she could bear. She clung to her god-mother a
moment at the last, wanting to sob out all her love and gratitude for
the beautiful years she was leaving behind her, but there were no words
deep enough. Her last kiss was given in silence more eloquent than
speech. At the bottom of the steps she whisked away the tears which
would gather despite her brave resolve to fight them back, and turned
for one more look at the House Beautiful before she left it to go
farther on her pilgrim way.

There they stood, the three who had filled her life so full, who had
taken the place of father and mother and indulgent grandfather in her
life. She smiled bravely as she gave them a parting wave of her hand.
She could not let tears dim her last sight of those dear faces. Another
wave for Mom Beck and Alec Walker and old Aun