as a little surprised at the way we took
possession of a stranger's home, but she enjoyed it as much as we. "It
is so nice to be doing something for some one again, something real
homey and family-like," she remarked as she laid the table for dinner.

We had dinner almost ready when we heard the wheels crossing the mossy
log bridge. We raced to let down the bars. Beside Daniel sat a dear
dumpy little woman, her head very much bundled up with a lot of old
black veils. Daniel drove through the corral, into the yard, and
right up to the door. He helped her out _so_ gently. She kept
admonishing him, "Careful, Danyul, careful." He handed out her crutch
and helped her into the kitchen, where she sank, panting, into the
rocker. "It is my leg," she explained; "it has been that way ever
since Danyul was a baby." Then she pleaded, "Careful, careful," to
Elizabeth, who was tenderly unwrapping her. "I wouldn't have anything
happen to this brown alapacky for anything; it is my very best, and
I've had it ever since before I went to the pore farm; but I wanted to
look nice for Danyul, comin' to his home for the first time an' all."

We had the happiest dinner party I ever remember. It would be
powerfully hard for me to say which was happier, "Danyul" or his
mother. They just beamed upon each other. She was proud of her boy and
his pleasant home. "Danyul says he's got a little red heifer for me
and he's got ten cows of his own. Now ain't that fine? It is a pity we
can't have a few apple trees,--a little orchard. We'd live like
kings, we would that." We explained to her how we got our fruit by
parcel post, and Danyul said he would order his winter supply of
apples at once.

As soon as dinner was over, Danyul had to mend a fence so as to keep
his cattle in their own pasture. Mr. Stewart went to help and we women
were left alone. We improved the time well. Mrs. Holt would not lie
down and rest, as we tried to persuade her to, but hobbled about,
admiring everything. She was delighted with the big, clean cellar
and its orderly bins, in which Danyul was beginning to store his
vegetables. She was as pleased as a child with her room, and almost
wept when we told her which were "welcoming presents" from us. She was
particularly delighted with her red flower, and Mrs. O'Shaughnessy
will be happy for days remembering it was she who gave it. I shall be
happy longer than that remembering how tickled she was with her
bonnets.

She wanted to wip