uth America for that
commission, wasn't it?" said Bruce, rubbing his hands before the fire.
"We couldn't have got a snugger place, and just for the length of time
we want it. I told Miss Jinny it would be flying in the face of
Providence for her to refuse to come and occupy it."

Judith had been studying the problem of the rooms, and now put her
question. "But where are we to have our meals?" she ventured. "I
don't see any dining-room."

"They are coming in from Dufranne's and we're going to imbibe them in
that room to the left," replied Bruce with a wave toward the
sitting-room. "When we feel like it, we're going to Dufranne's for
them." He turned to Mrs. Shelly with an air of charming courtesy that
sat well on his strong face. "Are you still in the humor for dining
out, madam?" he asked, in a tone easily heard by her.

Mrs. Shelly nodded, smiled her twinkly smile and rose with alacrity.

"I'll put on my new bonnet," she promised, and trotted off to her room,
smoothing the tails of her basque with eager fingers.

"She's just as happy as a lark," said Miss Jinny to the others. "I was
so scared for fear she'd hate town life, but, lands alive, she takes to
it like a duck to water. I shouldn't wonder if it did her a lot of
good. She's been uncommonly quiet recently, and I believe she's been
missing you girls."

Mrs. Shelly in her new bonnet with a gay little pansy on it, Miss Jinny
in another bran new hat, made quite a festive appearance, and the great
humor of them both and their sincere pleasure in being so important a
part in the little home group gave an added zest to the evening's
merry-making.

"Ju hasn't let go of Mrs. Shelly's hand since we left the restaurant,"
said Patricia apart to Elinor, as they were taking off their wraps in
the studio again. "Poor little kid, she certainly does worship that
dear little old lady."

"How she'd have adored mother, if she had only lived," said Elinor
softly. "Mother was so lovely. I always feel that you two have been
cheated out of so much--not even to have a dim memory of her."

Patricia's face grew wistful. "She went away when I was so little,"
she murmured absently. "Sometimes I do fancy that I can recall how she
looked as she kissed me good-bye in the big station, but it must be
only fancy--one doesn't remember much at two years old. I can see just
how Judy looked though, when they brought her home after mother died,
and I was only three and a half