elf. "Here's Mrs. Burnside coming out most a month sooner than she
wanted to and Miss Sally looking forward to seeing things well under way
in that old garden she sets such store by. If May Day would just be nice
and sunshiny for 'em all 'twould please me. Well, now--who can that be?"

A figure was approaching on the drive-way, carrying an umbrella and a
tag, and walking rapidly. As it neared Joanna could see, in the light
thrown out from the hallway and the front windows, that the figure wore
skirts of dark blue. The next instant the umbrella was tilted back at a
reckless angle, and a voice called guardedly out of the mist:

"O Joanna--is that you? Hush--don't answer out loud!"

"Miss Sally!" Joanna, amazed, crossed the porch to meet her young
mistress. "Who'd ever have thought of seeing you to-night? Why--we
wasn't expecting you till day after to-morrow. And where's Mr. Rudd?"

"Joanna dear!--don't speak so loud. I want to surprise them," came back
the laughing whisper, and the next minute Sally's bag and umbrella were
on the porch, and she was wringing both her housekeeper's plump hands in
her own. "How do you do, Joanna! I'm so glad to see you again. Uncle
Timothy stopped off for a week in Washington, and I couldn't wait, so
came on alone. Is everybody well?"

"They're well enough, Miss Sally, but--you'll be pretty disappointed. You
see they wasn't expecting you, so--"

"Oh, are they _away_? They can't be _all_ away! Where are they?"

"Well, you see they was getting sort of restless, waiting for the first
of May, and Mr. Max took them into town to some show. It's too bad.
They'd rather have seen you than any show, I reckon."

"But they'll be back to-night?"

"I expect they will--near eleven."

"Oh, well--I can wait." Sally drew a long breath. "I've waited months--I
can stand it a few hours longer."

"It's a shame." Joanna picked up the bag and umbrella and led the way
into the hall. "The Burnsides are coming the day after to-morrow." She
pointed toward the open door into the west wing, the hall light shining
in a short distance among the shadows and showing a room in order. "It's
awful too bad they didn't get here to-day."

"Never mind--it's a great deal just to be at home again. How pleasant it
all looks--and how fresh!"

Joanna led on into the long living-room where a light fire blazed on the
hearth. "It's as fresh as I could make it," she admitted, "but there's
some ways it can be made fresher that