patent, and first thing Green Valley knew here come
three big corset men to town, all of them offering to buy Dudy's
home-made corset. So Sam Bobbins has got his fortune and nobody's
begrudging it to him. The whole town is mighty proud of Sam, I tell
you.

"Good land--it must be four o'clock, for here come the children!
My--Nanny, but it's good to have you home again!"

"Well," smiled Grandma, as she watched the spring twilight sift down
over Green Valley that evening, "I've always said that this town was
full of folks who make you cry one minute and laugh the next."

CHAPTER XXIV

HOME AGAIN

It had pleaded for forgiveness and an early homecoming, that little
yellow slip that Nanny Ainslee treasured so. But the bluebirds were
darting through leafy bowers and the ploughed, furrowed fields lay
smoking in the spring sunshine before Nan came back.

A week after her arrival in Scranton the old aunt had been taken sick,
and it was months before the old soul was herself again. Nan stayed
through it all. But the day came when she was free to go back to the
little home town where the cloud shadows were rippling over low,
dimpling hills, already gay with the gold of wild mustard and the
tender blues and greens of a new glad spring.

She came home one evening when Green Valley lay wrapped in a warm,
thick, fragrant mist. So no one saw her step off the train straight
into the arms of Cynthia's son. And nobody heard the quivering joy of
his one cry at the sight of her.

"Nan!"

Slowly, as in a dream, they walked through their fragrant, misty world
to where, in a deep, old hearth, a fire sang of love and home, dreams
and eternal happiness; where an armchair waited with its mate and an
old clock ticked on the stairs.

Oh, that first perfect hour beside his fire! He had pleaded so hard
for it in all his letters. So she gave it to him, knowing that for
them both no hour could ever again be just like that.

She sat and listened to the wonder of his love; then, frightened at the
might of it, the lovely reverence of it, crept into his arms for sweet
comfort. And he held her in awe and wonder against his heart, kissed
the quivering lips and knew such joy as angels might envy. Then he
took her to her father.

The next day, in the shy sunshine of a perfect day, they went hand in
hand to their knoll to look once more upon their valley town and talk
over all of life from the first hour of meeting.

And when