e sat down to supper together; 't was a
supper I should have had no heart to eat alone."

"I don't believe she ever had such a splendid time in her life as she
did then. I heard her tell all about it afterwards," exclaimed Mrs.
Todd compassionately. "There, now I hear all this it seems just as if
the Queen might have known and could n't come herself, so she sent that
poor old creatur' that was always in need!"

Mrs. Martin looked timidly at Mrs. Todd and then at me. "'T was
childish o' me to go an' get supper," she confessed.

"I guess you wa'n't the first one to do that," said Mrs. Todd. "No, I
guess you wa'n't the first one who 's got supper that way, Abby," and
then for a moment she could say no more.

Mrs. Todd and Mrs. Martin had moved their chairs a little so that they
faced each other, and I, at one side, could see them both.

"No, you never told me o' that before, Abby," said Mrs. Todd gently.
"Don't it show that for folks that have any fancy in 'em, such
beautiful dreams is the real part o' life? But to most folks the
common things that happens outside 'em is all in all."

Mrs. Martin did not appear to understand at first, strange to say, when
the secret of her heart was put into words; then a glow of pleasure and
comprehension shone upon her face. "Why, I believe you 're right,
Almira!" she said, and turned to me.

"Wouldn't you like to look at my pictures of the Queen?" she asked, and
we rose and went into the best room.

V.

The mid-day visit seemed very short; September hours are brief to match
the shortening days. The great subject was dismissed for a while after
our visit to the Queen's pictures, and my companions spoke much of
lesser persons until we drank the cup of tea which Mrs. Todd had
foreseen. I happily remembered that the Queen herself is said to like
a proper cup of tea, and this at once seemed to make her Majesty kindly
join so remote and reverent a company. Mrs. Martin's thin cheeks took
on a pretty color like a girl's. "Somehow I always have thought of her
when I made it extra good," she said. "I 've got a real china cup that
belonged to my grandmother, and I believe I shall call it hers now."

"Why don't you?" responded Mrs. Todd warmly, with a delightful smile.

Later they spoke of a promised visit which was to be made in the Indian
summer to the Landing and Green Island, but I observed that Mrs. Todd
presented the little parcel of dried herbs, with full direction