g out over the
dry brown world, suddenly saw a green glow over everything and she stood
up, very angry, and said: 'Does the earth disobey me? I said that if the
earth should ever grow green again, it should be along the path by which
my daughter should come back to my arms.'

"And then a sweet child voice said: 'Open your arms, dear Mother, for I
have come back to you, and all the earth is green and blossoming!'"

The little girl threw her arms around Catherine's neck and kissed her.

"O, I'm so glad she came back," she cried. "Tell me about it again."

Catherine smiled but her eyes were dreamy still. Algernon made his way
over to her.

"You found my vocation for me," he said eagerly, "and now I've found
yours. We'll have a story-hour in this library hereafter,--with bars up
to keep the grown-ups out! You're better than the professional I heard
at Madison."

Catherine looked bewildered, but Alice took her hand and squeezed it.

"I knew you could. I heard you once 'telling' to Jonathan Edwards out
under the hemlocks when you thought no one else was listening. It's a
glorious gift, dear, and I feel sure you'll do wonders with it some day.
See! Hannah and Frieda are almost crying! Come on, girls. She doesn't
even know what she has done. We'll have to take her home and have her
mother explain it!"

Catherine revived from her dazed condition sufficiently to protest
against being led out of the door, and the four went gayly up the hill
together; but Catherine's mind was intent on the suggestion which
Algernon had made. "Professional? Work? A vocation? Anything so simple
and delightful, and _natural_ as telling stories? Could _I_ do
something that would make lots of people happier and better, as Aunt
Clara's pictures do, and Mother's work and Father's?" The bliss of the
idea was quite too much for her, and she broke away from the others,
exclaiming:

"I'll race you all to the porch steps. One, two, three, scramble!"

CHAPTER EIGHTEEN

DOCTOR'S ORDERS

Dr. Helen, dismissing her last patient at the office door, glanced into
the waiting-room. To her surprise, she saw Alice sitting there with a
magazine in her hand.

"Why, my dear, what is wrong? Are you ill? Come in here." Alice rose and
followed her into the little white room.

"Nothing is wrong. I wanted to see you alone for a few minutes, and I
thought this was the best way to do it. Are you quite free now?"

"Entirely. Sit down in this comfortable cha