cried Jeannette out of sheer exuberance, though the fact of the
arrival was obvious enough, and James Stuart was already dashing across
the lawn from the opposite direction.

As she looked at her cousin, Georgiana's first impression was the one
she had hardly dared hope for, that of Jeannette's entire content and
well-being. Not only was the physical improvement noteworthy but a
certain worn and worldly look had vanished--one which had not affected
her beauty and had been discernible only to the closely observing eye,
but which had been there none the less and was gone now.

This change grew more and more apparent as Georgiana continued to regard
her young hostess. From the moment the party first entered the
wide-thrown front door, it was easy to discover that both Stuart and his
wife were eager as two children for the approval of their guests. Such
approval was not long in appearing.

"How pleasant--how charming!" cried Georgiana, as her quick eye took in
attractive effect after effect. "Oh, you clever things, to do it like
this! How absolutely in keeping it all is, and how quiet, yet how
beautiful!"

"She's done it," vowed James Stuart proudly. "I was a duffer at it till
she showed me what she was after. I wanted to buy brocaded silk
furniture, like that in her home--while my money held out. But she would
have nothing but this sort of thing. Homelike, isn't it?"

It was the word which described it, if one qualified the term by making
it apply only to homes built on foundations of good taste and
suitability to environment. As she looked about her Georgiana saw
everywhere evidences of the use of abundant means, and she realized that
Jeannette had been clever indeed to supply so much without impressing
Stuart with the undoubted fact that she had contributed more than he to
the final result.

The whole effect of the house's interior was one of well-chosen but
unostentatious comfort, and the materials and furnishings used were all
so nicely adapted to their setting that only to more discerning eyes
than those of the Stuarts' neighbours would they have expressed unusual
resources of supply.

"It's an achievement!" Craig declared.

His enlightened gaze traveled from one point to another of the long,
low-ceilinged living-room, sunny with new windows, and with walls and
hangings of soft browns and golden yellows. He noted that Jeannette had
had the good sense to make use of the old furniture the house possessed
wher