The S. W. F. Club

ames I know

arters, Shep

buttons, La

Lady Hol

nage garden, hands full of flowers, and the big

Maples. Lucky had been an inmate of the parsonage for some weeks now and was thriving famously in her adopted home. Towser to

en, at that moment threatening battle at a polite nodding Sweet William, "but you can see for yourself that we h

rying to get ready to go over and help decorate the manor. She was

ul world?-

understan

boo the w

ate the ha

ice, Patience promptly whi

dresses to be worn that afternoon. And presently, Patience, her basket quite full and

going this after

on my coming and this being the first reg'lar doings since I joined the club. I told her and Pauline they mustn't look for me to go junket

the blood rushed to the child's face, then as quickly receded.-After all, it would have had to be ironed for Sunday and-well, mother certainly had been very non-committal the past few days-

to the side porch. Hilary was there talking to Bedelia.

unconscious. "Fixed

afternoon-

her's going;

seeing the real doubt and longing in her face, relented. "Mother w

oked back-"I just knew you wouldn't go back o

"I feel like a story-book girl, going driving this time in the m

s to rest, so as to be ready for the dissipations

ace. "If Uncle Paul were to see you now, he might fi

eginning. You've a fine basket of flowers to tak

well that young lady

r tell how like her you used to be, I d

sort of speech," Pauline gathered up the

lub members, both regular and honorary, not to mention their relatives and frien

explained to Pauline. "He insists t

good terms with the

, no one had ever though

Hilary said-next summer would mean the taking up again of this year's good times and interests,-Shirley talked of coming back. As for the winter-Pauline had in mind several plans for the winter. Those of the club members to stay behind must get together

elia," she said. "We'll get the old c

she heard in imagination the

"and it's the prettiest August day that ever was, and lawn-p

to the road, a broad sloping lawn surrounded i

sh in its altered aspect. Even the sight of Betsy Todd's dish towels, drying on the currant bushes at one side of t

e. "They've just had their baths, and they're simply wild to get out in the middle of the road and roll. I've told them no self-respect

rty on his own account, and that no grown-ups shall be invited. She's sent you the promised flowers

er? Oh, but I'm afraid

Mother says, flower

ley suggested. "The boys hav

or. One of them, at any rate, deserved Shirley's title. He came forward now. "Looks pretty nice, doesn't it?" h

oval, and introduced hi

he real founder

y sort of club, to

ned out to be," Pauline laughed.

bucket of fresh water. "Harry is to make the salad," she explained to Pauline, as he came bac

Shaw," Harry said. "When you have, you'll t

d. "Still, Paul, Harry does make them rather well. Betsy Todd, I am sorry to say, doesn't approve of

d of old. Her wonder was, that the Dayres had been

ay from her beloved New York. 'Vairmon! Nevaire have I heard of zat place!' she told Harry, when he interviewed her for us. Senior's gone to Vergennes-on b

ly she has us all in t

ul

y, "if you know what it's meant to us-you're being here this summer, Shirley? Sometimes things do fit

ory uncle down in New Y

heard of him-

or twice-he didn't strike me as

lieve in them,"

uncle," Shirley observed. "I told him so, but he says, while he's aw

elia," Pauline told the

boat and the camera

y summer," Shirley explained. "Pauline's sis

to adopt, do you?" Harry inquired. "A well-intenti

s," Shirley added

arked casually, "these are what

ithout a word, carrying

decided success. Never had the old place looked so gay

with its background of shining water. The tennis court, at one side of the house, was one of the favorite gathering spo

ntentment among the young people. Sextoness Jane was there, in all the glory of her best dress-one of Mrs. Shaw's handed-down summer ones-and with any amount of items picked up to carry home to Tobias, who was certain to expect a full account of this most unusual dissipation on his mistress's part. Even Betsy Todd condescended to put on her black woolen-usually reserved for church and funerals-and walk about among the

here was a second one, presided over by Pauline and

or the manor had been built after the pattern of its first owner's English home; and in the deep, recessed windows, facing the

ight angles to the great stone fireplace, banked to-day w

kitchen, with Betsy Todd in lilac print gown, peeling apples by the open window,

nce found Sextoness Jane st

doesn't she?" Patience commented. Betsy had once helped out at the parsonage,

ly, "that anyone'd get that fond of Si

lained serenely. Jane was so good about letting one explain thing

ect' character-not that I've got anything against Sister

ere was the talk of chores to be done, suppers to get, and with the breaking up, must come an end to her share in the party. For mother, though approached in the most delicate fashion, had proved obdurate

don't suppose, for one moment, that we would get back in time. I believe-" For fully three minutes, Patience sat quite still in one of the studio window seats, oblivious of the chatter going on all about her; then into her b

od grace. But Mr. Dayre caught the wistful look in the child's face. "Bless me," he said heartily. "You're not going to

Mrs. Shaw beg

ested. "Why, dear me, I'd quite counted on Patience's being here. You see, I'

to hers. "I'm staying! I'm staying!" an excited lit

" she hadn't stayed. She imagined that instead, she was sitting between father and mother

speeding the parting guests with more zeal than di

he approved of Harry. "You're an art

d. "I have heard grave doubts expressed o

I can have a room like this-with just rugs on the floor; rug

ve tea with you? I

ve that sort for any children who may come. Hilary takes pictures-s

picture now, he thought to himself, in her white dress, under the big tree, her pretty hair forming a fr

ing a chair up beside hers, "so I thought perhaps you'd l

ded her; marveling over their soft tones. They were mostly bits of landscape, with here and there a wat

retfully. "I wish I could-there are some beautiful

ccident, but she can never be quite well again, so she took this up

hs again. "And you really thin

on't see why the right s

ould develop int

t over?" Harry asked. "Since this friend of mine

era holding such possibilities within it, of its growing into somet

ked, coming up. "Sup

red. Paul, come a

o turn the gay give and take of the young folks into deeper and wider channels, and Shirley's frequent though involuntary-"Do you r

he summer night over everything, Shirley brought out her guitar, singing for them strange folk-songs, picked up in her

d, sending the tune far out across the lake; and presently,

I wonder?"

who's heard it-there've been plenty o

gospel to scatter bro

re, and he will go away taking our tune with him,

and not the words," Josie obj

tune," Pauline said. "No one could

awhile, and try a little sunny smile

ad been good, when they got home. That was one of those aggravating questions that only tim

n. Tom and Josie went in the trap with the Shaws. "It's been perfectly lovely-all of it," Josie sa

s," Pauline told her. "I've

d Hilary, then she leaned forward, they were nearly home, and the lights of the p

m, Hilary. Goodness, it must be a visiting mini

"I just bet it isn't any visiting minister-but a vis

!" Paulin

nonsense, Paul

ted. "I just knew Uncle Paul would come

laughed. "You'll know f