all
summer. I don't yet seem to realize it."

"Did you notice how Grandmother cried as this house came to view,--her
birthplace?"

"No wonder. She hasn't been here," said Aunt Susan, "since Mother's
funeral, I presume it brought it all back to her. Poor Alice! I ought
not to say it, but Archie Hollister was not the man to make her happy.
He ran through with nearly all of her money. It slipped through his
fingers just like water, and I guess her life with his family was none
too peaceful and happy. They had the name of being great fighters. Of
course she has her recompense in John and Archibald--that's something.
A woman needs peace. Now take your mother, for instance. Why has she
grown young? Because she's quit worrying--that is the secret."

"Yes, and when I think that she did it all for me--why, Aunt Susan,
I can't lay up anything against her; I love her too well. She sees
now how useless it all was. But what do you know about Harvey Bigelow?
Isn't he developing into a fine man?"

"He certainly is," replied Aunt Susan, "and I always liked him. He looked
one squarely in the eye, and such a man can be trusted."

"I don't know," answered Ethel, "of late everyone seems to be changing
for the better. The whole world appears different to me. It makes me
happy to see others happy," and the girl went out to call her mother and
Tom in to tea.

"I'm transferring my allegiance to your mother, young woman," said Tom.

"I'm not a bit jealous," replied Ethel. "Mother is really more
interesting to men than I, and what's more, she's always been. But
hurry in; Jane will be furious if her biscuits grow cold."

The two weeks passed only too quickly. They spent their days touring
all over Ohio, so it seemed to Ethel, and at night the young people came
in shoals to see her, while the grown-ups had bridge parties. Said Mrs.
Hollister:

"How hospitable and lovely these Westerners are. I had no idea that they
were so refined."

"What did you expect to meet, Mother?" laughed Ethel--"not cowboys?"

"Susan," said Grandmother one morning, "I notice that you curl your hair.
It's very becoming, I think."

"Alice, you don't consider me too old, do you? Sometimes I wonder if I'm
not sort of making a fool of myself, but Ethel got me in the way of it
and I try to keep the front as fluffy as possible, for she asked me to.
And I've another confession to make," said Aunt Susan. "Alice, I blue my
hair--regular bluing water so as to keep it