into the dining-room, where
Geraldine's sewing machine was temporarily established, and where Anna's
blocks had a corner to themselves. The invalid, between intervals of
knitting, watched them all with her luminous and sympathetic smile.

"A letter for you, Julie, and four for me," said the bride-elect, coming
back from the door after the postman's ring.

"_Four_ for you--Gerry! You lucky thing!"

"Well--two are from Morgan," admitted Geraldine, smiling, and there was
a laugh as Julia opened her own letter.

"It's from Dr. Richard Toland," she announced a moment later. "He says
Mill Valley is too beautiful for words just now. How'd you like to go
over and see Uncle Richie to-morrow, Anna?"

"I'd love it," said Anna unhesitatingly.

"We've not been for weeks," Julia said, "I'd love it, too, if my Marmer
doesn't mind?" She turned her bright smile to her mother. "Regina says
she has an engagement with the O'Briens for Sunday," said she, "and if
Gerry goes off with Morgan, will that leave things too quiet?"

"Indeed it won't!" said Mrs. Torney, looking up from the tissue-paper
pattern over which she had hung in profound bewilderment for almost half
an hour. "Rita may bring some of the children in, or Lloyd and Elmer may
come over. Go along with you!"

Richie, much stronger in these days, and without his crutch, though
still limping a little, met Julia and the dancing Anna on the following
afternoon, and the three crossed the ferry together. It was a day
bursting with summer's promise, the air was pure and warm, and the sky
cloudless. Getting out of the train at Mill Valley, Julia drew an
ecstatic breath.

"Oh, Richie, what heavenly freshness! Doesn't it just smooth your
forehead down like a cool hand!"

There was a poignant sweetness to the mountain air, washed clear by the
late rains, and warmed and invigorated by the sunshine of the
lengthening March day. The country roads were dark and muddy and churned
by wheel tracks, but fringed with emerald grass. Even at four o'clock
the little valley was plunged in early shadow, but sunshine lay still
upon the hills that framed it, and long lines of light threw the grim
heights of Tamalpais into bold relief. The watching tiers of the
redwoods looked refreshed, their spreading dark fans were tipped with
the jade-green sprays of the year's new growth. The first pale smoke of
wild lilac bloom lay over the hills.

"It makes you think of delicious words," said Julia, as Ri