e else, even better
than I. Put that in your mental pipe and smoke it!"

"Saints preserve us!" cried Linda. "I believe the man is planning to
take Katy away from me."

"Not FROM you," said Peter, "WITH you."

"Let me know about it before you do it," said Linda with a careless
laugh.

"That's what I'm doing right now," said Peter.

"And I'm going to school," said Linda.

"Of course," said Peter, "but that won't last forever."

Linda entered enthusiastically upon the triple task of getting Donald in
a proper frame of mind to start to college with the ambition to do good
work, of marrying off Eileen and John Gilman, and of giving her best
brain and heart to Jane Meredith. When the time came, Donald was ready
to enter college comfortable and happy, willing to wait and see what
life had in store for him as he lived it.

When she was sure of Eileen past any reasonable doubt Linda took her and
John to her workroom one evening and showed them her book contract and
the material she had ready, and gave them the best idea she could
of what yet remained to be done. She was not prepared for their
wholehearted praise, for their delight and appreciation.

Alone, they took counsel as to how they could best help her, and decided
that to be married at once and take a long trip abroad would be the best
way. That would leave Linda to work in quiet and with no interruption
to distract her attention. They could make their home arrangements when
they returned.

When they had gone Linda worked persistently, but her book was not
completed and the publishers were hurrying her when the fall term
of school opened. By the time the final chapter with its exquisite
illustration had been sent in, the first ones were coming back in proof,
and with the proof came the materialized form of Linda's design for her
cover, and there was no Marian to consult about it. Linda worked until
she was confused. Then she piled the material in the Bear Cat and headed
up Lilac Valley. As she came around the curve and turned from the public
road she saw that for the first time she might cross her bridge; it was
waiting for her. She heard the rejoicing of the water as it fell from
stone to stone where it dipped under the road, and as she swung across
the bridge she saw that she might drive over the completed road which
had been finished in her weeks of absence. The windows told another
story. Peter's furniture had come and he had been placing it without
telli