quoted her weeks after she had expressed herself. He brought
her books and they disagreed and argued about them. In summer, with
Adele languid under her parasol, and Teddy enchanting in white, they
went to the park concerts, or to the various museums, and wrangled
about the new Strauss and Debussy, and commented upon the Hals canvases
and the art of Meissonier and Detaille.

This evening he had a book for her from the Public Library; he had been
dipping into it on the elevated train.

"Which ticket is this on, John?"

"Yours."

"Well, then, you paid my dues on the other! How much?"

"Six cents."

She showed him the six coppers on her white palm.

"You were an angel to do it. Listen; do you want to read this when I'm
through?"

"Well, if you think so."

"Think so?--Carlyle's 'Revolution'? Of course you ought to! Adele,
isn't he ignorant?"

"I read that in High School," smiled Adele. "It's awfully good."

"Mis' Ban'ster," Aurora was at the door, "Hainy was cuttin' open the
chickens f' t'morrer, and she says one of 'em give an awful queer sort
of POP--!"

"Oh, for Heaven's sake!" Martie started kitchenward. John Dryden gave a
laugh of purest joy; Aurora was one of his delights. "We always say
we're going to read aloud in the evenings," she called back. "Now
here's a chance--a wet evening, and Adele and I with oceans of sewing!"

She went from the kitchen upstairs, finding the various boarders
quietly congregating in the hall and parlour, awaiting the opening of
the dining-room door. Adele had gone up to her room, but Teddy and John
were roaming about. Rain still slashed and swished out of doors. The
winter was upon them.

"Seems to be such a smell of PAINT," said the younger Miss Peet.

"Well, that's just trying out the radiators," Martie said hearteningly.
"It won't last. Did you get caught?"

"Sister did; I got home just before it started. It seems to me we're
having rain early this year--"

"We had had two inches at this time last year," said old Colonel Fox.
Martie knew that this unpromising avenue would lead him immediately to
Chickamauga; she slipped into the dining room and began to carve.
Aurora was rushing about with butter-plates, her cousin Lyola, engaged
merely for the dinner-hour, was filling glasses. A moment later the
entire household assembled for the meal. Mrs. Fox, a gentle, bony old
lady, with clean, cool hands, and with a dowdy little yoke of good lace
in the neck of her old silk