lls
again. It was almost three o'clock when they finally finished their
measurements, and Allison hurried them back to the inn, and repaired
to the station to meet trains.

Leslie made her aunt lie down on the bed, supposedly for a nap; but no
one could have taken a nap even if he had wanted to--which Julia Cloud
did not--with an eager, excited girl sitting beside the bed, just
fluttering with ideas about couches and pillows and furniture and
curtains.

"We'll have a great deep couch, with air-cushions on the seat and
back, and put it in the middle of the living-room facing the
fireplace, won't we, Cloudy? And what color do you think would be
pretty for the cushions? I guess blue, deep, dark-blue brocaded
velvet, or something soft that will tone well with the mahogany
woodwork. I love mahogany in a white room, don't you, Cloudy? And I
had a great big blue Chinese rug sent over that I think will do nicely
for there. You like blue, don't you, Cloudy?" she finished anxiously.
"Because I want to have you like it more even than we do."

"Oh, I love it!" gasped Julia Cloud, trying to set her mind to revel
in extravagant desires without compunction. She was not used to
considering life in terms of Chinese rugs or mahogany and brocade
velvet.

"I'd like the curtains next the windows to be all alike all over the
house, wouldn't you? Just sheer, soft, creamy white. And then inner
curtains of Chinese silk or something like that. We'd want blue in the
living-room, of course, if we had the blue rugs and couch, and oh! old
rose, I guess, in the dining-room, or perhaps mahogany color or tan.
Green for that sun-porch room! That's it, and lots of willow chairs
and tables! And rush mats on the tiled floor! Oh! Aren't we having
fun, Cloudy, dear? Now, I'll write out a list of things we have to buy
while you take a nap."

And so it went on the whole afternoon, until the sound of a distant
whistle warned them that the five-o'clock train was coming in and they
must be prepared to meet Mr. Luddington.

According to programme they hurried into their wraps, and went down to
the piazza, to wait for the car. None too soon, for Allison was
already driving around the curve in front of the door, and Mr.
Luddington sat beside him, radiating satisfaction. Anything that
pleased his adorable wards pleased him, but this especially so, for he
was in a hurry to respond to the many telegrams summoning him home to
California, and the quicker this li