sant week; he had enjoyed it
wonderfully. He meant to have many more such.
But to live here always! Already the city
was calling to him; he was homesick for its
rush and bustle, the sense of life and movement.

"You and I stand as far apart to-day, in
some matters, Phil, as we did twenty--thirty
years ago," he said presently, "and that eldest
daughter of yours--I'm a fair hand at reading
character or I shouldn't be where I am to-day,
if I were not--is more like me than you."

"So I have come to think--lately."

"That second girl takes after you; she
would never have written that letter to me
last May."

"No, Hilary would not have at the time--"

"Oh, I can guess how you felt about it at
the time. But, look here, Phil, you've got
over that--surely? After all, I like to think
now that Pauline only hurried on the
inevitable." Mr. Paul Shaw laid his hand on the
minister's shoulder. "Nearly twenty years is
a pretty big piece out of a lifetime. I see now
how much I have been losing all these years."

"It has been a long time, Paul; and,
perhaps, I have been to blame in not trying more
persistently to heal the breach between us. I
assure you that I have regretted it daily."

"You always did have a lot more pride in
your make-up than a man of your profession
has any right to allow himself, Phil. But if
you like, I'm prepared to point out to you
right now how you can make it up to me.
Here comes Lady Shaw and we won't
waste time getting to business."

That night, as Pauline and Hilary were in
their own room, busily discussing, for by no
means the first time that day, what Uncle Paul
had said to Hilary that morning, and just
how he had looked, when he said it, and was
it at all possible that father would consent,
and so on, _ad libitum_, their mother tapped at the door.

Pauline ran to open it. "Good news, or
not?" she demanded. "Yes, or no, Mother Shaw?"

"That is how you take it," Mrs. Shaw
answered. She was glad, very glad, that this
unforeseen opportunity should be given her
daughters; and yet--it meant the first break
in the home circle, the first leaving home for them.

Mr. Paul Shaw left the next morning.
"I'll try and run up for a day or two, before
the girls go to school," he promised his
sister-in-law. "Let me know, as soon as you have
decided _where_ to send them."

Patience was divided in her opinion, as to
this new plan. It would be lonesome without
Paul and Hilary; but