, who did Mrs. Sutherland's washing, reported that the way
his mother waited on the young gentleman and babied him was a caution,
and the Doctor was nearly as bad, running up and down stairs, scolding
one minute and giving medicine the next. The patient responded to the
good nursing and before the middle of January he was able to be
outdoors again. He convalesced very happily, especially after he was
able to walk as far as the Lindsay hill. Uncle William showed no sign
of repentance, though Mrs. Sutherland told him how near to death's door
the boy had been, but Wallace did not seem disturbed. The evil
provided by Uncle Peter's war-distemper was sufficient unto the day
without worrying over Uncle William. The old man would come round yet,
Wallace felt sure, and meanwhile he was having a very pleasant time and
Orchard Glen with Christina in it was a very delightful place.

Jimmie came stamping in one wild boisterous evening when February had
began to shout across the country from hill to hill and turn the world
into a whirling whiteness.

It was Friday evening and he was earlier than usual as Mrs. Johnnie
Dunn had given him a lift more than half way in her cutter. And she
had so much Red Cross truck piled into it, he complained, that his feet
stuck out into the drifts all the way home.

He had stopped at the postoffice for the mail, and there was a letter
from Neil. His regular Tuesday letter had come as usual and a second
one was rather surprising.

Christina ran with it into the sitting room where her mother was sewing
overtime on a couple of hospital shirts that The Woman said had to be
ready for Monday, and not a minute later.

"A letter from Neily," Mrs. Lindsay said, stopping her work and taking
off her spectacles to await the reading. "What will he be wanting to
say at this time o' the week?"

Christina tore it open and went to the window to catch the last light
of the short winter day. The letter started as usual with the weekly
budget of college news. Every one was speeding up, now, for Spring and
exams, had just turned the last corner and were coming straight at
them. Sandy's new room was something superfine and much warmer than
the last, but board wasn't getting any better. They were all longing
for a taste of Mother's biscuits and Christine's pies. And then the
letter fell back into reminiscences of old days, as Neil's letters had
a habit of doing.

"Do you remember, Mother, when we were l