in this rain, and staying to dinner to-morrow;
but Grandmother was so pleased to have the things, and she got to
telling me of old times, poor thing, and how she had to work and scheme
to get up a Thanksgiving dinner, and how my grandfather would worry her
by promising that he'd only have one drink, and then disappearing for
hours--"

"Does it ever occur to you that you are an unusual woman, Julia?" Miss
Toland asked, holding her watch to the baby's ear. Julia flushed and
laughed.

"Well, no, I don't believe it ever did!"

"Not so much in climbing up in the world as you have," pursued the older
woman, "but in not despising the people you left behind you! That's very
fine, Julie. I can't tell you how fine it seems to me!"

"There's nothing fine about it," Julia said simply. "It's just that I
like that sort of people as well as I do--Jim's sort. I used to think
that to work my way into a world where everything was fine and fragrant
and costly would mean to be happy, but of course it doesn't, and I've
come more and more to feel that I like the class where joys are real,
and sorrows are real, and the goodness means more, and there's more
excuse for the badness!"

"Did you ever think of writing, Julia?" Miss Toland asked. "Stories, I
mean?"

"Everybody does nowadays, I suppose," Julia laughed. "Sometimes I think
what good material The Alexander stuff would be, Aunt Sanna. But the
truth is, Jim doesn't like the idea."

"Doesn't? Bless us all, why not?"

"Oh!" Julia dimpled demurely. "The great Mrs. Studdiford writing, like a
mere ordinary person?" she asked.

"Oh, that's it? Where is Jim, by the way?"

"Sacramento. But the operation was on Sunday, so he should have been
here yesterday, at latest," Julia said. "However, he'll rush in to-night
or to-morrow; he knows you're all going to be here. Give her to me, Aunt
Sanna, she's getting hungry, bless her little old heart! Ah, here's
Ellie with something for Mother's girl!"

"And tea for you in the library," Ellie said in an aside, receiving the
baby into her arms with a rapturous look.

"Tea, doesn't tea sound good!" Julia caught Miss Toland by the hand.
"Come and have some tea, Aunt Sanna!" said she. "I'm starving!"

They were loitering over their teacups half an hour later when Lizzie
came into the library with a special delivery letter.

"For me?" Julia smiled, reaching for it. "It's Jimmy!" she added
ruefully, for Miss Toland's benefit, as she took it. "Th