hall be afraid to bring you
again."

"I expect to wake some morning and find the shop has disappeared,
leaving no trace of itself," Miss Sarah remarked.

"I trust not," exclaimed Norah. "Where would we be?"

"An enchanted prince would have carried you off," laughed Charlotte.

"Two princes," suggested Miss Virginia.

A sudden gravity fell on Norah, so noticeable that Miss Sarah said, as
she turned away, "She seems not to like the idea of the prince."

* * * * *

The days grew long, the air soft and warm; the Terrace gardens bloomed
again and the rich foliage of summer succeeded the delicate lace-work
of spring. The Russell house was again a Palace Beautiful in its
mantle of vines, and the judge sat on the rustic bench beneath the
Ginkgo tree, his hands on his stick and a faraway look in his eyes.

Every moment that could be spared from the shop found Marion and
Norah off to the country, to return laden with fragrant trophies. The
delicate look had gone from Marion's face, and the disfiguring glasses
were rarely seen.

One evening in May an unexpected visitor appeared in the shop. A tall,
wiry man, past middle age, with a keen, kindly face.

"Why, Dr. Baird!" cried Norah, "I was just wishing for you."

"You were?" he said, shaking hands. "Anything wrong with my patient?"

"Here she is, to speak for herself," said Marion, entering from the
next room.

The physician looked at her long and intently. "I give up," he said at
length. "It has worked. You are all right, and"--turning to Norah--"I
suppose you think you are very clever, miss. Your wild-goose scheme
has been a success."

"You shall not call it names, for it has been the happiest winter of
my life," said Marion.

CHAPTER TWENTY-SEVENTH

AN ANNIVERSARY

"Miss Marion, are you here? I am so glad to see you! I have something
to show you. Where is Miss Norah?" Charlotte punctuated her breathless
remarks with an ardent embrace.

"Why, Charlotte, how rosy you look, and I believe you have grown two
inches!" Miss Carpenter had risen to meet her, and now took the brown
face in both her hands and smiled into the blue eyes. "It is good to
see you again. When did you get home?"

"Early this morning; and now Aunt Virginia has everything out of our
trunks--you would think there had been ten instead of two--and she and
Martha are putting away, so I ran," Charlotte answered gayly.

It was September again. The shop, wh