ll belief,
and her big brothers were heroic size, and they were all a little shy
with her after the excitement of the first greetings. She wondered why
Jimsy had not come out with them but at once she told herself that it
was better so; it would have been hard for them to have their first hour
together under so many eyes,--her mother's especially. Jimsy would be
waiting at the station. But he was not. There were three or four of her
girl friends with their arms full of flowers and one or two older boys
who had finished college and were in business. They made much of her and
she greeted them warmly for all the cold fear which had laid hold of her
heart.

Then came the drive home, the surprising number of new business
buildings, the amazing growth of the city toward Seventh Street, the
lamentable intrusion of apartment houses and utilitarian edifices on
beautiful old Figueroa. Honor looked and listened and commented
intelligently, but--_where was Jimsy?_

The old house looked mellow and beautiful; the Japanese garden was a
symphony of green plush sod and brilliant color--the Bougainvillaea
almost smothering the little summerhouse and a mocking-bird who must be
a grandson of the one of her betrothal night was singing his giddy heart
out. Kada was waiting in the doorway, bowing stiffly, sucking in his
breath, beaming; the cook just behind him, following him in sound and
gesture, and the Japanese gardener, hat in hand, stood at the foot of
the steps as she passed to say, "How-do? Veree glod! Veree glod! Tha's
nize you coming home! Veree glod!"

Honor shook hands with them all. Then she turned to look at her
stepfather and he followed her into his study.

"And we've got three new dogs, Honor, and two cats, and----" the
smallest Lorimer besieged her at the door but she did not turn. She was
very white now and trembling.

"Stepper, where is Jimsy?"

"Top Step, I--it's like Evangeline, rather, isn't it? He went straight
through from the north without even stopping over here. He's gone to
Mexico, to his uncle's ranch. And Carter got a leave of absence and went
with him. I--you want the truth, don't you, Top Step?"

"Yes," said Honor.

"I'm afraid Jimsy rather ran amuck, in the bitterness of it all. His
father took it very hard, in spite of my explanations to him, and wrote
the boy a harsh letter; that started things, I fancy. That's when I
cabled you. Carter telephoned his mother from the station here as they
went thro