r her own room, quietly undertaken the duties of dusting and
arranging the rooms and cutting and bringing in flowers. She had gone to
the kitchen and wiped dishes and asked to be taught how to cook things
of which John was particularly fond. She had been reasonable in the
amount of time she had spent on her shopping, and had repeatedly gone to
Linda and shown interest in her concerns. The result was that Linda at
once displayed the same interest in anything pertaining to Eileen.

One afternoon Linda came home unusually early. She called for Eileen,
told her to tie on her sunshade and be ready for a short ride. Almost
immediately she brought around the Bear Cat and when they were seated
side by side headed it toward the canyon. She stopped at the usual
resting place, and together she and Eileen walked down the light-dappled
road bed. She pointed out things to Eileen, telling her what they were,
to what uses they could be put, while at the same time narrowly watching
her. To her amazement she found that Eileen was interested, that she was
noticing things for herself, asking what they were. She wanted to know
the names of the singing birds. When a big bird trailed a waving shadow
in front of her Linda explained how she might distinguish an eagle from
a hawk, a hawk from a vulture, a sea bird from those of the land. When
they reached the bridge Linda climbed down the embankment to gather
cress. She was moved to protest when Eileen followed and without saying
a word began to assist her, but she restrained herself, for it suddenly
occurred to her that it would be an excellent thing for Eileen to think
more of what she was doing and why she was doing it than about whether
she would wet her feet or muddy her fingers. So the protest became an
explanation that it was rather late for cress: the leaves toughened when
it bloomed and were too peppery. The only way it could be used agreeably
was to work along the edges and select the small tender shoots that had
not yet matured to the flowering point. When they had an armload they
went back to the car, and without any explanation Linda drove into
Los Angeles and stopped at the residence of Judge Whiting, not telling
Eileen where she was.

"Friends of mine," said Linda lightly as she stepped from the car.
"Fond of cress salad with their dinner. They prepare it after the Jane
Meredith recipe to which you called my attention, in Everybody's Home
last winter. Come along with me."

Eilee