to George's big shoulders, and the gallant effort he made to be
sweet to Mamma, George who was so good, and so generous, and who only
asked to have his wife and home quietly to himself after the long day,
Mary's heart would burn with longing to put her arms about him, and go
off alone with him somewhere, and smooth the wrinkles from his
forehead, and let him rest.

One warm Sunday in mid-July they all went down to Long Island to see
the rosy, noisy babies. It was a happy day for Mary. George was very
gracious, Mamma charming and complaisant. The weather was perfection,
and the children angelic. They shared the noonday dinner with little
George and Richard and Mary, and motored home through the level light
of late afternoon. Slowly passing through a certain charming colony of
summer homes, they were suddenly hailed.

Out from a shingled bungalow, and across a velvet lawn streamed three
old friends of Mamma's, Mrs. Law'nce Arch'bald, and her daughter,
'Lizabeth Sarah, who was almost Mamma's age, and 'Lizabeth Sarah's
husband, Harry Fairfax. These three were rapturously presented to the
Venables by Mrs. Honeywell, and presently they all went up to the porch
for tea.

Mary thought, and she could see George thought, that it was very
pleasant to discuss the delicious Oolong and Maryland biscuit, and
Southern white fruit-cake, while listening to Mamma's happy chatter
with her old friends. The old negress who served tea called Mamma
"chile," and Mrs. Archibald, an aristocratic, elderly woman, treated
her as if she were no more than a girl. Mary thought she had never seen
her mother so charming.

"I wonder if the's any reason, Mary Lou'siana, why you can't just come
down here and stay with me this summah?" said Mrs. Archibald, suddenly.
"'Lizabeth Sarah and Harry Fairfax, they're always coming and going,
and Lord knows it would be like havin' one of my own girls back, to me.
We've room, and there's a lot of nice people down hereabouts--"

A chorus arose, Mrs. Honey well protesting joyously that that was too
much imp'sition for any use, 'Lizabeth Sarah and Harry Fairfax
violently favorable to the idea, Mrs. Archibald magnificently
overriding objections, Mary and George trying with laughter to separate
jest from earnest. Mrs. Honeywell, overborne, was dragged upstairs to
inspect "her room," old Aunt Curry, the colored maid and cook, adding
her deep-noted welcome to "Miss Mar' Lou." It was arranged that Mamma
should at least