."

"Oh!" cried Helen in a fervor of delight that made her absolutely faint
at heart.

Joanna opened the door. "Haven't you rung the bell?" she asked in
surprise.

"I declare!" Mrs. Dayton laughed and rang it at once. Joanna brought in
the soup tureen and stood it on the side table.

"We will finish the talk by and by," the mistress said.

The boarders came in. Mr. and Mrs. Pratt, Mrs. Lessing and her
daughters, Mr. Conway and Mrs. Van Dorn. When the Disbrowes arrived the
house would be filled.

"This is my young friend Miss Helen Grant," announced Mrs. Dayton, and
she gave the girl a seat beside her. Mrs. Van Dorn was next.

Helen enjoyed it so much. The spotless cloth with its fern leaves and
wild roses, the small bowl of flowers at each end of the table, the
shining silver, and Joanna's quiet serving. The guests talked in low,
pleasant tones. At home there was always a din and a clatter and two or
three children talking at once, a coarse and generally soiled table
cloth, and Aunt Jane scolding one and another. And there was always a
slop of some kind.

After the soup came the dinner proper; roast chicken and cold boiled ham
cut in thin slices, not chunks. What a luscious pinky tint it had. And
the vegetables had a dainty tempting aspect. The table service was
delicately decorated porcelain, but it seemed rare china to the girl.
What lovely living this was!

Helen possessed a certain kind of adaptiveness. Aunt Jane would have
called it "putting on airs." She made no blunders, she answered the few
questions addressed to her, in a quiet tone, for she did not have to
shout to be heard over the din of children.

There was dessert and fruit, not so much more than they were used to
having at home, for the Mulford's were good livers. Afterward the
boarders sauntered out on the porch or the lawn seats, where the
gentlemen smoked.

"Now you've seen Mrs. Van Dorn, and she isn't so very formidable, is
she? Sometimes she is very amiable, but I suppose few of us keep that
even tenor of the way so much talked about. And there are queer people
all over the world."

"Whoa, Betty, whoa! You'll get home to your supper presently," exclaimed
a well-known voice, as wheels announced the approaching vehicle.

Mrs. Dayton and Helen went out. Mr. Mulford thought first he couldn't
stop a minute, it was late. But the hostess explained that she had
something very important to talk over, and he could have his supper
while he was