here," said Dwight Herbert, "who is it sits home and has _ice_
cream put in her lap, like a queen?"

"Vanilly or chocolate?" Mrs. Bett demanded.

"Chocolate, mammal" Ina cried, with the breeze in her voice.

"Vanilly sets better," Mrs. Bett said.

They sat with her on the porch while she ate. Ina rocked on a creaking
board. Dwight swung a leg over the railing. Monona sat pulling her skirt
over her feet, and humming all on one note. There was no moon, but the
warm dusk had a quality of transparency as if it were lit in all its
particles.

The gate opened, and some one came up the walk. They looked, and it was
Lulu.

* * * * *

"Well, if it ain't Miss Lulu Bett!" Dwight cried involuntarily, and Ina
cried out something.

"How did you know?" Lulu asked.

"Know! Know what?"

"That it ain't Lulu Deacon. Hello, mamma."

She passed the others, and kissed her mother.

"Say," said Mrs. Bett placidly. "And I just ate up the last spoonful o'
cream."

"Ain't Lulu Deacon!" Ina's voice rose and swelled richly. "What you
talking?"

"Didn't he write to you?" Lulu asked.

"Not a word." Dwight answered this. "All we've had we had from you--the
last from Savannah, Georgia."

"Savannah, Georgia," said Lulu, and laughed.

They could see that she was dressed well, in dark red cloth, with a
little tilting hat and a drooping veil. She did not seem in any wise
upset, nor, save for that nervous laughter, did she show her excitement.

"Well, but he's here with you, isn't he?" Dwight demanded. "Isn't he
here? Where is he?"

"Must be 'most to Oregon by this time," Lulu said.

"Oregon!"

"You see," said Lulu, "he had another wife."

"Why, he had not!" exclaimed Dwight absurdly.

"Yes. He hasn't seen her for fifteen years and he thinks she's dead.
But he isn't sure."

"Nonsense," said Dwight. "Why, of course she's dead if he thinks so."

"I had to be sure," said Lulu.

At first dumb before this, Ina now cried out: "Monona! Go upstairs to
bed at once."

"It's only quarter to," said Monona, with assurance.

"Do as mamma tells you."

"But--"

"Monona!"

She went, kissing them all good-night and taking her time about it.
Everything was suspended while she kissed them and departed, walking
slowly backward.

"Married?" said Mrs. Bett with tardy apprehension. "Lulie, was your
husband married?"

"Yes," Lulu said, "my husband was married, mother."

"Mercy," said Ina. "Think of any