ie's room. It was spotless in its cleanliness and bare save for the
most necessary articles of furniture. There were three other old ladies
about in various stages of decrepitude, who seemed only dully conscious of
Dan's appearance; but Aunt Winnie, seated in her armchair by the window,
started up in tremulous rapture at sight of her boy. Despite her age and
infirmity, she was still a trig little body, with snow-white hair waved
about a kind old wrinkled face and dim soft eyes, that filled with tears
at "Danny's" boyish hug and kiss.

"It's a long time ye've been coming," she said reproachfully. "I thought
ye were forgetting me entirely, Danny lad."

"Forgetting you!" echoed Dan. "Now, you know better than to talk like
that, Aunt Win. I'm thinking of you day and night. I've got no one else to
think of but you, Aunt Win."

"Whisht now,--whisht!" Aunt Winnie sank her voice to a whisper, and nodded
cautiously towards the nearest old lady. "She do be listening, lad. I've
told them all of the grand, great college ye're at, and the fine, bright
lad ye are, but I've told them nothing more. Ye're not to play the poor
scholar here."

"Oh, I see!" said Dan, grinning. "Go on with your game then, Aunt Win."

"I'm not looking to be remembered," Aunt Winnie continued dolefully. "What
with all the French and Latin ye have to study, and the ball playing that
you're doing. I can't look for you to think of a poor lone lame woman like
me."

"Aunt Win!" burst forth Dan, impetuously.

"Whisht!" murmured Aunt Win again, with a glance at the old lady who was
blinking sleepily. "Don't ye be giving yerself away. And I suppose it's
the fine holiday that ye're having now wid the rest of yer mates," she
went on.

"Yes," said Dan, feeling he could truthfully humor the old lady's harmless
pride here. "We're off to-morrow for the jolliest sort of a time at the
seashore. Freddy Neville, the nicest little chap in college, has a place
up somewhere on the New England coast, and four of us are going there for
the summer."

And Danny launched into eager details that made Aunt Winnie's eyes open
indeed. But there was a little quiver in her voice when she spoke.

"Ah, that's fine for you,--that's fine for you indeed, Danny! We can talk
plain now; for" (as a reassuring snore came from her dozing neighbor)
"thank God, she's off asleep! It's the grand thing for you to be going
with mates like that. It's what I'm praying for as I sit here sad and
lon