Samantha, as the widow returned. But Annie's eyes had been furtively
watching her baggage through the window, and saw it swinging upon a
broad, red-shirted pair of shoulders, just then; and, before she could
bring her mind to bear upon the crab question, Keziah Kinzer
exclaimed,--

"If there isn't Mrs. Foster, coming through the garden gate!"

"My mother!" and Annie was up and out of the parlor in a twinkling,
followed by all the ladies of the Kinzer family. It was really quite a
procession.

Now, if Mrs. Foster was in any degree surprised by her daughter's sudden
appearance, or by her getting to the Kinzer house first instead of to
her own, it was a curious fact that she did not say so by a word or a
look.

Not a breath of it. But, for all the thorough-bred self-control of the
city lady, Mrs. Kinzer knew perfectly well there was something odd and
unexpected about it all. If Samantha had noticed this fact, there might
have been some questions asked possibly; but one of the widow's most
rigid rules in life was to "mind her own business."

The girls, indeed, were quite jubilant over an occurrence which made
them at once so well acquainted with their very attractive new neighbor;
and they might have followed her even beyond the gate in the north
fence, if it had not been for their mother. All they were allowed to do
was to go back to their own parlor, and hold "a council of war," in the
course of which Annie Foster was discussed, from her bonnet to her
shoes.