on!"

Grandma smiled in spite of herself. There were things she wanted very
much to say and other things she wanted very much to ask; but the
trunks had to get down to the station and already the afternoon sun was
low.

The two women worked feverishly and almost in silence so that when the
packing was done they might get in the little visit both craved before
the months of separation.

Nanny finally jumped on the trunks, snapped them shut, locked them and
watched the expressman carry them down and out into his waiting dray.
Then she sat down with a trembling little laugh.

"There--it's over and I'm really going! I have been to just about
every country but Japan. I believe father would rather have skipped
off alone this time. It seems to be some suddenly important
international crisis that we are going over to settle. That's why we
are going East the roundabout way. We must stop at Washington for
instructions, then again at London and Paris."

"Nanny," mused Grandma, "there's a good many years difference in our
ages but there's only one woman I ever loved as I love you. I think I
might have loved your mother but she died the very first year your
father brought her here. And she was ailing when she came. The other
woman that meant so much to me used to go traveling too. I always
helped her with her packing. Then one day she packed and went away,
never to come back."

"Was that Cynthia Churchill?" Nan asked gently.

"Yes--Cynthia. She was dearer than a sister to me, and neither of us
dreamed that a whole wide world would divide us."

"Why did she go, Grandma?"

"Because a Green Valley man well-nigh broke her heart."

"A Green Valley man did--_that_? Oh, dear! And here I have been
hoping that some day I might marry a Green Valley man myself."

"Nanny, I expect I'm old and foolish but I've been hoping and hoping
that you'd marry a home boy and fearing you'd meet up with some one on
your travels who would take you away from us forever. It would be hard
to see you go."

The last sunbeam had faded away and golden twilight filled the room.
Outside little day noises were dying out.

"Grandma dear, don't you worry about me. I intend to marry a Green
Valley man if possible. But even if I didn't I'd always come back to
Green Valley."

"No, you wouldn't. You couldn't, any more than Cynthia could. Cynthia
loved this town better even than you love it. Yet she is lying under
strange stars in a fore