every drop of blood from Arnold's face. For a moment they
were unseen; but when Ruth, who was the first to feel their presence,
started from Kemp as if she had committed a crime, Arnold came forward
entirely at his ease.

Kemp met Mrs. Levice with outstretched hands and smiling eyes.

"Good-evening, Mother," he said; "we had just been speaking of you."
Mrs. Levice looked into his deep, tender eyes, and raising her arm, drew
his head down and kissed him.

Ruth had rolled forward a comfortable chair, and stood beside it with
shy, sweet look as her mother sat down and drew her down beside her.
Sorrow had softened Mrs. Levice wonderfully; and looking for love, she
wooed everybody by her manner.

"What were you saying of me?" she asked, keeping Ruth's hand in hers
and looking up at Kemp, who leaned against the mantel-shelf, his face
radiant with gladness.

"We were saying that it will do you good to come out of this great house
to our little one, till we find something better."

Mrs. Levice looked across at Louis, who stood at the piano, his back
half turned, looking over a book.

"It is very sweet to be wanted by you all now," she said, her
voice trembling slightly; "but I never could leave this house to
strangers,--every room is too full of old associations, and sweet
memories of him. Louis wants me to go down the coast with him soon,
stopping for a month or so at Coronado. Go to your cottage meanwhile by
yourselves; even I should be an intruder. There, Ruth, don't I know? And
when we come back, we shall see. It is all settled, isn't it, Louis?"

He turned around then.

"Yes, I feel that I need a change of scene, and I should like to have
her with me; you do not need her now."

Ruth looked at his careworn face, and said with tender solicitude,--

"You are right, Louis."

And so it was decided.

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