"All afternoon I kept discovering things. When we sat down to dinner
that night, our first meal together (Lloyd had told May Lily exactly
what to do), a lot of the silver was marked Tremont, for the doctor had
divided all of Aunt Patricia's silver that came down from her
grandfather's family equally among Elsie and Stuart and Phil. But there
were some beautiful pieces from Lloyd and the old Colonel, and Mr. and
Mrs. Sherman. Stuart and Eugenia had sent quantities of fine table
linen.

"The last surprise of the day was the house-warming. Everybody had
stayed away till then, to let us have time to 'spy out the land and
possess it.' Lloyd and Rob were the first to come over, then Gay and
Alex Shelby. They have just gone to housekeeping in the Lindsey cabin.
Every old friend in the Valley came before the evening was over, and
gave us a royal welcome, as warm and heartening as the blaze which we
started in the big fireplace. When the Colonel went away he quoted from
the Hanging of the Crane,

"'Oh, fortunate, oh, happy day
When a new household has its birth
Amid the myriad homes of earth.'

"He said that Green Acres had always been the synonym for whole-souled
hospitality, but that we had even surpassed its best traditions.

"There isn't room for much more in this little book; only a few pages
are left, so I can't crowd into it all the good times of the last two
months, but I must make mention of the delightful rides I have had with
Lloyd, and the times when she and Gay and I have spent the day together
in good old Valley fashion. Just to be this near my Princess Winsome and
to see her daily is a constant joy. She is lovelier and more winsome
than she ever was before.

"I must put on record that I have proved what Mrs. Blythe said to be
true about the light from happy home windows being the best guide for
benighted travellers, and that social influence counts so greatly in the
work we are trying to do. Already I am beginning to see that as Mistress
of Green Acres I shall be able to accomplish far more than little Mary
Ware ever did. Of course, that might not be possible if Phil were not in
hearty sympathy with what I want to do. But he is thoroughly interested
himself.

"The other night at the Moores I overheard him discussing Housing Reform
with Judge Abbott of Lexington, as warmly as Mrs. Blythe could have
done. Finally the whole dinner party took it up, and Mrs. Abbott said
that her cl