"

When Nancy joyously declared that everybody and everything was lovely,
somehow B'lindy and Jonathan and Aunt Milly felt so, too! B'lindy, at
Nancy's bidding, sat down upon the grass close to the chair, and
Jonathan, too rheumatic to follow her example, leaned against the tree
trunk and stared at Nancy with adoring eyes.

"At first I was going to keep my nest a secret, just between Jonathan
and me. But it'll be much nicer to have all of us know about it. We
can have such nice times here. We can do so many things. B'lindy, can
you knit?"

B'lindy said she could not, though she could crochet.

"Then I'm going to teach you and Aunt Milly both. You can knit socks
for the children in Europe, though you must begin on washcloths.
Jonathan--I don't suppose there's any use trying to teach you--you must
keep us supplied with flowers because Aunt Milly can't have enough--you
see there are so many years she has to make up. And sometimes I'll
read to you and sometimes I'll work. We'll come here every
afternoon--shall we?"

B'lindy and Jonathan and Aunt Milly nodded their heads. B'lindy,
watching Miss Milly's face, was beginning to think that there might be
some sense in Nancy's prescription of happiness.

And if in her heart Nancy smothered any wistful longing as she glanced
at the locked treasure-box, she forgot it when she, too, watched Aunt
Milly.

It was Jonathan who suddenly noticed that the sun was creeping over
toward the west and that he'd "better be at the lettuce."

"Goodness to gracious," cried B'lindy, scrambling to her feet with a
considerable creaking of joints. "Anne Leavitt, my day's work ain't
half done!"

On the way back through the orchard Miss Milly kept tight hold of
Nancy's hand, giving it an occasional squeeze.

"I could die happy--now," she whispered.

At the turn of the path beyond the raspberry patch the culprits were
confronted by Miss Sabrina. It was a very angry Aunt Sabrina, whose
one glance shadowed every bit of sunshine. Even Nancy, the ringleader
of the plot, felt her knees give way in fright.

"What are you all about?" Miss Sabrina demanded in a voice cold with
anger. "Go about your work, Jonathan Allen. B'lindy, you wheel that
ridiculous chair back to wherever you got it from! And you, Milly
Leavitt, how _dare_ you meddle with the ways of God?"

Everyone seemed to obey Miss Sabrina without a word of protest.
Jonathan faded out of sight, B'lindy disappeared toward t