Only Phoebe sat with her head turned from him and Caroline Darrah
exclaimed in distress:

"How could her mother not care for them?"

"Tempie," said Mrs. Buchanan, "pack up a basket of every kind of jelly.
Get that little box I fixed day before yesterday; you know it; wasn't it
fortunate that I embroidered two? And tell Jeff I want the carriage at
six."

"And, Tempie, tell Jeff to get you two bottles of that seventy-two
brandy; no, maybe the sixty-eight will be better; it's apple, and apples
and colic bear a synthetic relation which in this case may be reversed.
Those children must be started off in life properly." And the major's
eyes shone with the most amused interest.

"What's that?" asked David in the general excitement that had arisen at a
farther realization of his news. "Don't you want them to join the 'state
wide' band, Major? Aren't you going to give them a chance to fly a white
ribbon?"

"Well, I don't know," answered the major with a judicial eye, "temperance
is a quality of mind and not solely of throat. Let's depend somewhat on
eradication by future education and not give the colic a start."

"Don't you think it would be nice for you girls to drive down with me and
take the babies some congratulations and flowers, Phoebe?" asked Mrs.
Buchanan an hour later as they all lingered over the empty cups. "Will
you come too, David?"