ho had always responded to any such suggestions on
the part of their pastor or elders with a hopeless "Oh, you can't get
those college guys to do anything! They think they're it!" The feeling
was gradually melting away, and a new brotherhood and sisterhood was
springing up between them. It was not infrequent now for a college
maiden to greet some village girl with a frank, pleasant smile, and
accept invitations to lunch and dinner. And college boys were friendly
and chummy with the village boys who were not fellow-students, and
often took them up to their frat rooms to visit. So the two elements
of the locality were coming nearer to each other, and their bond was
the village Christian Endeavor Society.

So passed the first winter and spring in the little pink-and-white
house. And with the first week of vacation there came visitors.

CHAPTER XXIV

"Guardy Lud" was the first visitor, just for a night and a day. He had
come East for a flying business trip, and could not pass by his
beloved wards without at least a glimpse. He dropped down into their
midst quite unexpectedly the night before college closed, and found
them with a bevy of young people at the supper-table, who opened their
ranks right heartily, and took him in. He sat on the terrace in the
moonlight with them afterwards, joking, telling them stories, and
eating chocolates with the rest. When they gathered about the piano
for a sing, he joined in with a good old tenor, surprising them all by
knowing a lot of the songs they sang.

After the young people were gone he lingered, wiping his eyes, and
saying, "Bless my soul!" thoughtfully. He told Julia Cloud over and
over again how more than pleased he was with what she had done for his
children, and insisted that her salary should be twice as large. He
told her she was a big success, and should have more money at her
command to do with as she pleased, and that he wanted the children to
have a larger allowance during the coming year. Allison had spoken of
his work among the young people of the church, and he felt that it
would have been the wish of their father and mother both that the
young people should give liberally toward church-work. He would see
that a sum was set aside in the bank for their use in any such plans
as they might have for their Christian Endeavor work.

They talked far into the night, for he had to hear all the stories of
all their doings, and every minute or two one or the other of