the
navy.

Presently Mrs. Walton finished her lunch, and on her way out stopped at
their table to shake hands with Rob.

"I was sure that this is Joyce Ware and her sister," she exclaimed,
cordially, as Rob introduced them. "My girls are so excited over your
coming they can hardly wait to meet you. They are having a little
house-party themselves, at present, some girls from Lexington and two
young army officers, whom I want you to know. Come here, Elise, and meet
the Little Colonel's Wild West friends. Oh, we've lived in Arizona too,
you know," she added, laughing, "and I've a thousand questions to ask
you about our old home. I'm looking forward to a long, cozy toe-to-toe
on the subject, every time you come to The Beeches."

After a moment's pleasant conversation she passed on, leaving such an
impression of friendly cordiality that Joyce said, impulsively, "She's
just _dear_! She makes you feel as if you'd known her always. Now
toe-to-toe, for instance. That's lots more intimate and sociable than
tete-a-tete."

"That's what I thought, too," exclaimed Mary. "And isn't it nice, when
you come visiting this way, to know everybody's history beforehand! Then
just as soon as they appear on the scene you can fit in a background
behind them."

It was the first remark Mary had made in Rob's hearing, except an
occasional monosyllable in regard to her choice of dishes on the bill
of fare, and he turned to look at her with an amused smile, as if he had
just waked up to the fact that she was present.

"She's a homely little thing," he thought, "but she looks as if she
might grow up to be diverting company. She couldn't be a sister of
Joyce's and not be bright." Then, in order to hear what she might say,
he began to ask her questions. She was eating ice-cream. Joyce, who had
refused dessert on account of a headache, opened her chatelaine bag to
take out an envelope already stamped and addressed.

"If you'll excuse me while you finish your coffee," she said to Rob,
"I'll scribble a line to mamma to let her know we've arrived safely.
I've dropped notes all along the way, but this is the one she'll be
waiting for most anxiously. It will take only a minute."

"Certainly," answered Rob, looking at his watch. "We have over twenty
minutes to catch the next trolley out to the Valley. They run every
half-hour now, you know. So take your time. It will give me a chance to
talk to Mary. She hasn't told me yet what her impressions are o