e, I think she will! To-day she
sent word for me to 'look in.' That means that she needs gossip and not
medicine. Well, I'm glad to go. It always does me good to talk with
Mother Turner. She's the best lesson in contentment I know. She's buried
two husbands, seven children, and the dear Lord only knows how many
grandchildren, she lives on charity and hasn't a soul near her she can
claim relationship to, and she's as cheerful as that oriole up there,
and almost as bright. The pathetic part of it is that she can't read any
more, although she puts on her spectacles and pretends that she can.
Three years ago she confided to me that her eye-sight was 'failing a
bit.' She's not blind yet, by any means, but print's beyond her. And so
when I see her she always gets me to read to her a little, explaining
that her eyes 'be a bit watery this morning.' Sometimes it's the Bible,
but more often it's a newspaper that some one has left. Just now her
hobby is airships. She can't hear enough about airships." The Doctor
chuckled. "She's been on a train but once in her life, she tells me,
and that was thirty years ago."

"I don't want to live that long," said Eve thoughtfully. "I don't want
to live after every one I've cared for has gone."

"So you think now," replied the Doctor, with a faint shrug of his
shoulders, "but wait till you are old. I've seen many snuffed out, my
dear, but there's only one or two I recall who went willingly. The love
of life is a strong passion. Bless my soul, what's that?"

The Doctor turned toward the lilac hedge and the neighboring cottage,
listening. Eve laughed, merrily.

"Why, that's Zephania," she said.

"'We shall sleep, but not forever,
There will be a glorious dawn!
We shall meet to part, no, never,
On the resurrection morn!'"

sang Zephania, in her piping voice. The Doctor smiled. Then he nodded
sideways in the direction of the voice.

"Have you seen our host this morning?" he asked.

"No," said Eve.

"I wonder," he chuckled, "if I hadn't better go over and administer a
bromide. These fashionable dinner-parties--" He shook his head
eloquently.

"I don't believe he's that bad," responded Eve. "I wish you'd tell me
what you think of him, Doctor."

"Mr. Herrick? Well, aside from his intemperance--"

"No, I'm in earnest, please. Afterwards I'll tell you why I
ask--perhaps."

"I think him a very nice young man, Miss Eve, don't you?"

"Ye-es."

"I wouldn't call him strictly