"Oh, Miss Julia!" exclaimed Don. "I'm glad to see you. Why, I know you
too--I feel as though I've always known you just as you are! So--you're
my fairy godmother, who's got a real mother for me! All these
years--till I was a man grown--how could you?--but I'd know you
anywhere, because you're just the image of the picture you sent me with
that of her. I mean when you wrote me last week for the first time--that
wonderful letter--and told me I had a mother, and she was here, but that
I mustn't ever come to see her. Of course, I wired at once I _was_
coming! See now----"

"You are tall, Don," said Miss Julia softly. "You are very tall. You
are--you are fine! I'm so glad you grew up tall. All the heroes in my
books are tall, you know." She laughed aloud now, a rippling, joyous
little laugh, and hooking her cane across the chair arm, sank back into
Aurora Lane's largest rocker, her tender, wistful face very much
suffused.

Don fetched his mother also a chair, and seated himself, still regarding
Miss Julia curiously. He saw the two women look at one another, and
could not quite tell what lay in the look.

As for Miss Julia, she was still in ignorance of the late events in the
public square, because she had come directly across to Aurora Lane's
house after the closing of her own duties at the library this Saturday
afternoon, when most of her own patrons were disposed for the open than
for books.

"Yes, Don," said she again, "you are fine!" Her eyes were all alight
with genuine pride in him. "I'm so glad after all you came to see us
before you went on West--even when I told you you mustn't! Oh, believe
me, your mother scolded me! But I presume you are in a hurry to get
away? And you've grown up! After all, twenty years is only a little
time. Must you be in a hurry to leave us?"

"I ought not to be," said he, smiling pleasantly after all. "Surely I
ought to come and see you two good partners first--I could not go away
without that. Oh, mother has told me about you--or at least I'm sure she
was just going to when you came in. Strange--I've got to get acquainted
with my mother--and you. But I know you--you're two good partners,
that's what you are--two good scouts together--isn't it true?"

Miss Julia flushed brightly. His chance word had gone passing close to
the truth, but he did not know the truth. Don Lane did not know that
here sat almost the only woman friend Aurora Lane could claim in all
Spring Valley. Miss Julia in