dn't see them smoking their
cigarettes.

In the general relaxation Dolly Beatty slipped off her tightest shoe,
one bunion and four corns clamoring loudly for room. And though nobody
saw her do it, everybody knew that Sam Bobbins' wife had gone behind
some convenient bush and taken off her new corset.

In this quiet time old friends searched each other out and sat
peacefully talking over old times. The married women kept their eyes
on the strolling couples, hoping to see a lovers' quarrel or discover a
new and as yet unannounced affair. Little by little news was
disseminated and listened to that in the elaborate preparations of the
past days had been overlooked or unreported.

David and Jocelyn were in the crowd of merrymakers and yet not of it.
They had selected a fine old tree a little removed from the thick of
things and here Jocelyn spread their luncheon.

"It's a lucky thing," she explained shyly, "that Decoration Day doesn't
come earlier in the year or I'd never have dared to go to a party like
this and be responsible for lunch. About all I knew how to make when
we came to Green Valley was fudge, fruit salad and toasted
marshmallows. And before Annie Dolan came to teach me how to do things
I nearly died trying. I was all black and blue from falling down the
cellar and scarred and blistered from frying things. But now I know
ever so much.

"I can make two lovely soups and biscuits and apple pie and gravy. And
I know how to clean and stuff a turkey. Only last week Annie taught me
how to make red raspberry and currant jell. And my burns are nearly
all healed except this one. It was pretty bad, but I was ashamed to go
to the doctor's so it's not quite healed yet. That's why I just had to
have gloves to cover the bandage. But nobody else seems to be wearing
elbow gloves so I guess I'll take mine off and be comfortable. Would
you mind putting them in your pocket for me?"

David caught the silken ball she tossed him and carefully tucked it
away. He insisted on seeing the burn but Jocelyn waved him aside,
declaring that her hunger was worse just then.

So they ate and then sat and talked quietly of everything and nothing.
All about them people laughed and chattered. Every now and then some
one called to them and they answered correctly enough, yet knew not
what they had said. For as naturally as all the simple unspoiled
things of God's world find each other, so this sweet, unspoiled little
city gi